Illusory Flame: Embers
by Dramaya M. Murasaki
Summary: Continuation of AC. They have a mission to fulfill. She has a promise to keep. After their apparent demise following Sephiroth's defeat, can Loz, Yazoo and one very unlikely ally named Kallie work together to recover what they've lost? Please R&R!
1. For The Reunion

_Firstly, I thank any and everyone who clicked on the link to this fic, and I hope you will enjoy what I've worked my butt off to create. Secondly, I do wish to warn you that, for those of you who haven't seen Advent Children, **spoilers will commence here**, because the first two chapters take place during the movie. Also, as this story was first written about three years prior to when Advent Children Complete was released, Illusory Flame will adhere more to the original film than to the blu-ray release, since the latter somewhat contradicts what I've been writing all this time—nothing major, thank goodness, but just thought I'd throw that out there. I still consider Complete, like, the best movie in all of existence._

_Oh, and by the way, this fic focuses on more than just Yazoo, since Loz will also get a lot of 'screentime'. :D I did originally put the main characters as being Loz and Yazoo, but of course it's shown as being "Loz/Yazoo", and I think I had several people click on the link because they thought it was a slash story. Not that I have any particular aversion to yaoi, I just don't swing that way, especially in my writing. XD While I'm at it, I should also say that, yes, this is indeed an original character fiction, and features several OCs of mine, including the main protagonist, Kallie. So, if OCs aren't your cup of tea, then read no further! Although, you should still give them a chance, especially if they're well-written, like many say mine are._

_For those of you who are still reading this author's note, and to who the issues I listed above don't apply, then I hope you are a considerate person who will give this story a chance. Not only have I been writing this story for nearly four years, but I'm using it as a method to help improve my skills as a writer, so any and all feedback is greatly appreciated, especially constructive criticism. I'm not asking you to like this story because I'm that desperate for attention or whatever, I just want to know how I'm doing. Although, I would like to say that those who did give this story a chance, they ended up finding a fanfiction that they rather enjoyed. ;) You never know what's gonna happen, eh?_

_Well, enough of my ramblings, as you'll find I tend to do a lot. Thanks for reading, and please enjoy the first installment of the Illusory Flame trilogy, Embers!_

_**Prologue**_

_For A Promise_

Her uncle had been the strongest, bravest, and most valiant person she had ever known. As a SOLDIER he had witnessed the tragedies and triumphs of war. He knew to value life, to never take it for granted, and to fight to the death for it. To die on the battlefield, in an image of splendor and valor, should have been his fate.

Not like this. Not withering away the last of his days on his deathbed.

There was nothing May nor Kallie could do anymore. There was no way to help him or assist him. All they could do was kneel beside his bed, watching him battle the worst—and final—attack from his Geostigma. May wept, clutching her moogle doll for the reassurance she would never receive, and Kallie was doing her best to wipe away the dark pus seeping from the black disfigurement on his arm while he shook and shuddered before them.

"Uncle… There's… there's gotta be something more I can do…" Kallie hated feeling so helpless. "I just—This can't be it! This just _can't_ be all I can do!"

His agony lapsed if only for a moment, but even then he smiled at her. "My dear niece… Don't think… that… I couldn't… ask for anything more…"

"I…" Her hand clenching the towel shook.

May couldn't bear it anymore. "No, Daddy!" she sobbed, throwing herself onto his bedridden form. "Please, don't go! Don't leave me too!"

"My beautiful daughter…" He touched the young girl's cheek, weakly, sadly. "I wish I could stay, see you grow into a beautiful woman… like your mother. But, that's no longer… my decision…"

"Don't say that, Uncle…" This couldn't be happening. Uncle had never lost a battle before. "You're still strong! You can still win!"

"No, I've… lost this one…" Despite the intensity of the Geostigma's assault, her uncle had still barely given even a groan of pain, as years of rigorous training had hardened him against doing so. At this point, however, it was more likely he simply only had enough strength to deliver his parting words. "But, you're both so… strong… Promise me… you'll… look after… each other…"

"We…" Kallie looked to May, who, through her profuse tears, nodded. Taking the hand that was nearly lifeless at his side, she squeezed it firmly. "We promise, Uncle."

For his last time, he smiled. "To be such… a strong… family… That… makes me… so…" They could see him begin to cry. "So…"

Even though he had never been able to finish his sentence, they knew it had made him so happy.

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 1**

_For The Reunion_

When those fools had taken Mother away, they simply had no idea who they were dealing with. If they had believed they had known, they were wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. They should have realized they would allow nothing—absolutely nothing—to stand in their way of being with Mother. The two imbeciles they had managed to capture were learning that first-hand. Within the cold, dark depths of the Northern Crater, they were receiving their due punishment for having even dared to interfere.

"Still won't talk, huh?" Kadaj sneered, after Loz had given the leader Turk a particularly powerful shock from his Duel Hound when he still refused to tell them anything about Mother.

"I would never tell the likes of you!" Tseng growled, through his gasps and the blood spewing from his mouth.

"Leave him alone!" shrieked the girl called Elena, who lay helpless a few feet away, incapacitated from Yazoo's bullet in her leg that had thwarted her escape.

She was quickly silenced when Yazoo kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind clean out of her, and she doubled over in a soundless groan. Kadaj, meanwhile, ignored her and continued with his interrogation.

"Let's try this one more time," he said, the tips of Souba's blades against Tseng's throat. "We know you gave Mother to your subordinates. Now, where did they take her?"

Again, the only response was a stubborn glare.

"Go on…" the Turk groaned. "Kill me. I won't tell."

With a movement of his arm so fast it was a blur, Kadaj swiped with Souba; Tseng let out a silent cry as the blades ripped through his chest, the finely tailored suit he wore becoming even further stained crimson.

"We won't kill you," Kadaj said softly, sneering down at the suffering Turk. "But we will make you suffer, _until_ you tell us."

"…Tseng…" Yazoo heard the girl murmur near his feet, and she whined when he purposely jabbed with his foot in the spot where he had shot her. The young leader now turned his attention from Tseng to the girl, malice flickering in his eerie, cat-like eyes.

"Maybe you will talk now," he said, walking over to her. "You realize we need to know. This is for the Reunion, after all."

"I-I won't say anything e-either!" Elena cried, anger and defiance in her voice, though her amber eyes easily betrayed her terror.

A scream then rent the dank, stagnant air as Kadaj slashed with Souba again, this time leaving two long, parallel gashes across her back.

"We're not going to be able to get anything out of them for the time being," Kadaj said with a sardonic sigh, turning to look back at his brothers. "But, at least we have these."

With a graceful movement, he took out the items they had stolen from the Turks and held them up for Loz and Yazoo to see: their cell phones and ID cards, covered with bloody smears. The cell phones had been most useful in obtaining the President's number, and they had learned the Turks' names from the ID cards, but Kadaj plainly had some other motive for them in mind.

"What're you gonna do with those?" Loz asked.

Kadaj smirked. "We'll show the President just what happens when he gets in our way."

* * *

Geostigma was hurting her even worse than usual.

Away from the din of the cars and crowds that filled the city of Edge, the young girl sat dejectedly against the wall of an alleyway. Her brown hair was held up in pigtails, with a fringe of bangs above her hazel eyes. A stuffed moogle doll that looked as though it had been handmade rested beside her. But, the hands that would usually be cuddling the doll lovingly were now tightly grasping her arms in nothing but pain, the black, sticky pus seeping through her fingers.

Another grimace crossed May's face as the stigma stabbed at her, and it was hard to stop tears from welling up in her eyes. Every time it hurt her since she had gotten the disease two months ago, she knew death couldn't be far away. Only, the most terrifying part about it was that she didn't know when, or where, or who she'd be with when that time came. This pain, this despair—would this be the last thing she would ever feel? How long would it be before she would join her father who had also gone because of Geostigma?

_But I…_ The tears began to escape from May's eyes. _But I don't want to die here, all by myself! We were with Daddy! He wasn't alone…_

With a wave of despair crashing over her, May put her head against her knees and began to sob quietly. She had never felt so alone before. More than ever she wanted someone to be with her—Kallie, a friend, even a stranger. She wanted to go and find someone, so she wouldn't be alone when the time would come. But, it hurt so much that May couldn't stand. It was such a horrible feeling.

"So, another with Geostigma."

May gave a startled gasp at the unfamiliar voice, and appeared to be talking to her. In spite of her agony, she managed the strength to look up at the speaker, and gasped once again.

She had never seen another person like him ever before. By itself, his attire that garbed his tall, muscular physique was strange: a long jacket, zipped up all the way to his throat, topped with shoulder armor attached by straps that crossed over his chest, all of which were completely comprised of black leather. His long hair, which flowed far past his shoulders, had an unmistakable silvery luster she had only seen on old people, yet he was actually quite young and attractive, seeming to be in his early twenties. Although, when May saw his eyes, she shuddered with fright—they were a gleaming, emerald green, with slits for pupils. The sight gave her chills; she thought only cats could have such eyes.

Who was this person?

Abnormal as his appearance was, though, it wasn't enough to distract May from the most pressing matter at hand. As if it was upset that May no longer gave it her full attention, the Geostigma returned in twofold, and she cried out, clenching her arms even more tightly. At least this time, however, her silent wish had been answered… She wasn't alone now…

"Sir…" she whimpered. "Help me…"

May could feel those chilling eyes upon her, and as much as she wanted another presence, she didn't feel comforted by his. If he sympathized with her, then why was he just standing there? Wasn't he going to help her?

"I know how to cure it."

As if the remedy itself was contained in those words, the pain had begun to ebb away. So it felt at least, but May only too gladly welcomed that relief.

"What…?" With eyes widened incredulously, still brimming with tears, she once more looked up at the stranger in an entirely new light, and he only inclined his head slightly in what could be an aloof sort of nod.

"My brothers and I can cure you all of your Geostigma." He began to turn away. "If you wish to be healed, my truck waits in an alley off of Silence Street."

Without another word, the silver-haired stranger sauntered out of the alleyway, his boots hardly making a sound as they touched the ground. It was then she saw, with a slight start, the holstered gun hanging from the back of his harness. More curious than ever about this man's identity, May stood at last and followed him to the street. Glancing about, she expected to see a dash of silver among the heads of the sparse crowd. But, to her amazement, she could not see the stranger at all, just as if he had vanished right into thin air.

For a few moments, May was rooted to the spot in something of a daze, unsure if that stranger had all been a part of her imagination. As she looked down at her hands, she saw the black pus still upon her fingers and all too clearly remembered the Geostigma attack that had stricken her so much worse than before, just before that man had arrived—maybe she hadn't been hallucinating after all. Taking out a Geostigma-stained rag and wiping her hands on it, her bewilderment still lingered as she thought back on his promise that he had a cure. _A cure!_

It was almost too good to be true. It was too good for her to even believe. All these long months, she had been praying, wishing, and wistfully dreaming of the day when a miracle would arrive. And yet somehow, someway, against all odds, it seemed her prayers had at last been answered.

Only, what kept her from rejoicing more than she wanted to, or from happily skipping away to reach this cure, were the conflicting thoughts and feelings surfacing in her mind. Just before he had mysteriously vanished, he had mentioned a truck that was waiting off of Silence Street, and how he had hinted that other kids would be going too. Had he meant he would be taking them all out of the city? But, she couldn't go without telling Kallie—her cousin would get worried sick!

Still, here was May's chance to finally be rid of that awful Geostigma—the torment would be gone; her days would finally be pain-free. The two cousins would no longer have to live in the terror of wondering when she would breathe her last. She would be cured!

_And if I get all better_, May realized, then Kallie won't have to worry about me anymore. How great it would be, coming home and telling Kallie that she was cured of her Geostigma. She knew Kallie would be really mad at her for going off without telling her, but she would still be so happy more than anything else!

_It's worth a look… right?_

At last, with a firm decision in mind, May picked up Mog where she had left him and started down the street, her beloved moogle doll swinging almost joyfully from one hand.

* * *

Landing gracefully atop of an unfinished building after a particularly inhuman leap, Yazoo turned and looked back into the alleyway. He saw the girl with the moogle glancing about, as if trying to figure out where he had gone. After much hesitation, trying to decide whether or not to trust his words, she finally trotted off in the direction of the street he had indicated.

_Just like all the others._

At that moment, he heard his cell phone ring, and upon bringing the device out, he felt a slight twinge of exasperation at seeing it was Loz. Again. His brother had been calling him again and again once they had parted ways for their separate missions, either to complain about his particular job in searching for Brother's place or ask for more details that he simply couldn't comprehend on his own. What did his lunkhead of a brother possibly have to call about this time?

"What now, Loz?" Yazoo answered, keeping his impatience in check as he flipped the cellular open. "Took another wrong turn to Brother's place?"

"N-no, I just… I think we might've gotten Brother's place wrong," said Loz quite tentatively, more than likely aware that he was starting to get on Yazoo's nerves and he was going to become a prime target for his mocking. "There're… two girls here."

"Oh, isn't that a major setback—for you." Loz's suspicions were right—if there ever was even the slightest opportunity to tease his brother, Yazoo would feel accountable if he just let it slip by. "It doesn't matter who's there, they might know Brother. Question them about Mother, and if they have useful information, take them as hostages back to base. Simple as that."

"Okay, fine." With that, he hung up.

Following the battle with Brother in the wastelands of Midgar, the silver-haired trio had met up again to further discuss their plans. Kadaj, of course, had been the one to give Loz and Yazoo their assignments. Loz was to go to some abandoned church where Brother supposedly lived and see if Mother was really hidden there. In the meantime, it was up to Yazoo to collect children with Geostigma from Edge and bring them back to base. According to Kadaj, they would be useful in their ability to track down Mother, though he wouldn't explain how—what a typical trait their youngest brother had, keeping such details to himself, trivial or not. Yazoo might actually feel like there was some weight to his assignment if only he knew what these kids would be any good for.

Nevertheless, while Yazoo was aware he had been stuck with the most insipid task, with no victims to interrogate or torment, he was surprised with how much he was actually enjoying himself right now. Though he had taken to his assignment quite reluctantly, not at all looking forward to convincing afflicted children that he and his brothers had a cure, he was taken aback by how much their gullibility was a source of amusement for him. It was almost ridiculous, really, just how easily they bought his story—the gleam of hope in their eyes and faces that they could be rid of this disease, and the delight he felt when his deception had succeeded, watching them run off to find the truck he had stolen. Just like that young girl, only one of many children who had fallen for his lie.

Yet, it was still a reminder to him just how much failure in their mission was not an option, for only then could the world be cleansed of such weak-minded, foolish creatures.

Finding where those imbeciles had hidden Mother had proven to be an even greater frustration than they had thought—the more those Turks had refused to tell the trio of brothers where they had taken her away, the more their vexation had grown. Even so, in spite of how much their adversaries were a thorn in their side, Yazoo's confidence—his utter complacency—in their success would not be swayed. Their enemies had always underestimated just how powerful Mother was, and he knew they would only make the same mistakes all over again—the greatest fault of humankind.

_But no longer_, he thought with a smirk, heading off towards the truck to see for himself how many children were coming. Soon, at last, once they had found Mother, this cycle of inanity would come to an end, and it made him swell with pride to think that not only would he pay witness to it, he and his brothers would be among those to assist in this destruction.

* * *

May felt considerably livelier than she had been in a long time, yet while the heavy despair had been lifted from her shoulders, the news of this cure still left her with a kind of wistfulness.

_If only that guy got here sooner_, May mournfully thought as she jumped over a pothole, _then Daddy could've gotten healed too._

Two months was nowhere near enough to erase the grief over her father's death. He had been all she and Kallie had left to call a parent, their ever-joyful guardian through all their hard and dark times. All he had to do was smile and say everything would be all right, and that had helped them pull through it all. Sometimes, she thought she could still hear his voice saying that, and it was the only thing that kept her fighting against the hopelessness of her situation.

Just then, ahead of her, May spotted a brown-haired boy sitting on a set of steps that led up to some building with the sign '7th Heaven' above the door, as well as a few large barrels. He looked to be no older than her years of eight, but seeing how despondent he was, like countless other kids she had seen in Edge, made her think of something. Maybe he or someone close to him had Geostigma—and she could tell this boy about the cure!

As May came to a stop in front of him, it was at this distance she realized he was the victim: she could see the blackened scars on his forehead.

"You've got the stigma too?"

She saw him first look at Mog, then glance up at her with blue-gray eyes that didn't quite keep contact with her hazel ones. This boy probably felt scared to admit he did have Geostigma, and she well knew what that was like. Well, he was bound to cheer up once she told him the news!

"Come on, they're gonna fix us!" May exclaimed, unable to restrain her impatience at finding this truck any longer. Grabbing his hand as if he were a longtime friend of hers and yanking him off the steps, she practically dragged him behind her as she dashed eagerly out of the alleyway.

And then, May could have shouted for joy, for the very thing first thing she saw was a large truck, almost right in front of her. Several kids were already there; some sitting on it, while others were starting to clamber on. Promptly letting go of the boy, she took a few steps forward, her excitement growing, more certain than ever that this cure was for real. Looking back at the boy, May was disappointed that he appeared to be rather skeptical.

_So much for being cheered up…_

But May was pleased when he silently started forward again, and she happily tagged along behind him as he trotted towards the back of the truck, a faint smile appearing on his face.

* * *

In the meantime, Yazoo had arrived at the truck long before May had, so he could see just how many had decided to believe his promise for a cure, and he was quite satisfied to see just how many had turned up, as well as some that were continuing to arrive. So far, every single one of them had been a child he had talked to, and it seemed as though some had brought their friends as well, who must also be afflicted with Geostigma. In spite of his confidence, he was actually quite surprised by how well this aspect of the plan was going—he probably needed only a few more children before he had a sufficient number to bring back to the Forgotten City.

Just then, his phone, which was still held in his hand, gave a beep, indicating someone had just sent him a message.

It was Kadaj, short, terse, and to the point. _President says they lost Mother. I know he's lying. On the way to base. Loz hasn't reported in yet. Contact him._

The latter part of the message came of little surprise to Yazoo—not only would Kadaj have given Yazoo the task of contacting Loz when he could have easily done so himself, but it was typical that Loz was most likely being his usual forgetful or blundering self. Having had contact with him only a short while ago, he was quite sure nothing serious could have befallen his brother, not that his brother was in much danger of anything aside from his own recklessness. Nevertheless, he was planning to have Loz bear the brunt of his derision, as he usually did.

Walking a distance from the truck so he wouldn't be overheard, Yazoo dialed the number for the phone Loz had and patiently waited for him to answer, knowing that ridiculous ringtone of his should be going off. Finally, as he expected, it wasn't until the middle of the fourth ring that Loz finally answered.

Yazoo didn't even give him a chance to explain himself. "Turned up nothing, Loz?"

"She's not… _here_." He sounded frustrated and upset, just like he always was before he broke down in tears. A disappointment for sure that Mother wasn't there, but Yazoo had suspected as much—Brother didn't seem to have had any better of an idea where Mother was than they did. Even so, Loz had left himself wide open for ridicule, and Yazoo was not going to pass up the opportunity.

"Is somebody about to get emotional?" he sniggered.

"I am not crying!" Loz instantly snapped back, and Yazoo had to chuckle again, yet was aware that he had to remind his brother of his mission.

"Don't forget, Loz—" he began coolly, but was abruptly interrupted.

"No, I got it," growled Loz. "I'll bring the girl."

With that, Loz had severed the connection, leaving Yazoo to wonder if his brother had actually managed to learn something from those girls, and if that meant he would be taking at least one of them hostage. But, he sent a message back to Kadaj anyways, telling him of what Loz had found there, and had only just stowed the phone away before he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Walking forward so he could see to the other side of the truck, Yazoo saw that the girl with the moogle doll had arrived, and he was pleased to see she had another boy whom he hadn't spoken to in tow behind her.

_The more, the better._

Uttering a quiet scoff to himself, Yazoo turned and strode away again to find a few more kids before he would bring them all to base. Tonight, once Kadaj awakened them to the Reunion instinct as planned, he couldn't wait to find out where these children would lead them, and discover just where Mother had been hidden all this time.

* * *

"So hey, why not hang out tonight?"

"Sorry, Rika. I can't."

"Because of May?"

"Yeah."_ I just really, __**really**__ need to go home…_

Tiredly, Kallie rubbed her hazel eyes, which hurt along with her head from sorting countless boxes and shipped items at the Hazama Warehouse. It was now a quarter past seven, and because she worked full-time, she had been here since nine this morning. Not having had a bite to eat since lunch around one, the nineteen-year-old, soon to be twenty, was starved and tired, had a headache, and longed to go home. Plus, Kallie still had her other, much greater responsibility.

"I've gotta get back to May," Kallie continued, redoing her long, orange hair into its usual plait as she spoke. "I'm late as it is. I told her I'd be home at seven. I'm really sorry, Rika, but you know about May and her Geostigma. She really needs me now more than ever."

Rika, her fellow employee and friend at the warehouse, looked disappointed, yet understood quite well. After all, the two had been good friends for quite some time now, and yet they hadn't had an opportunity to hang out outside of work.

"It's all right," Rika said, sympathetically. "I don't want to get in the way of you caring for your cousin. I know how much she means to you." Getting to her feet, she picked up the box she had previously been sitting on, which was now slightly squashed. "I'd better get back to work before the manager catches me. But, how about inviting May to dinner with us when her stigma isn't so bad?"

"Sure thing. Looking forward to it." If it weren't for her near migraine, Kallie's reply would have probably been much more enthusiastic. As it felt like ages since she had spent any time with a friend, she really did want to hang out with Rika—but right now, making sure May was as okay and happy as she could be in what might be her final days took precedence above all else.

Sensing their rather bitchy manager was somewhere around the corner, the two friends exchanged a rushed farewell and Kallie gladly scooted, leaving Rika to finish up with her job. Exiting through the employee's exit that opened into an alley, she was relieved to feel the cool air on her throbbing temple as she continued in a lethargic stride out the alleyway and onto the busy street.

_It would be nice to finally have a night out_, Kallie thought as she stopped to wait for the light to change at the street crossing, her hand on her forehead. _Maybe once I get a raise._

Kallie sighed, knowing the prospect was hopeless. It was unlikely they would promote her any time soon, despite her doubled efforts ever since Uncle's Geostigma had worsened, and he had been forced to work less and less. Now, as the family's sole income, Kallie had persistently labored in order to increase her paycheck. While she had indeed earned more gil per week, it was hardly enough for any extra luxuries, despite her practically breaking her spine for it.

_And supposedly, they can't give me a promotion_, reflected Kallie darkly.

The walk sign flashed on, and her feet carried her across with all the other pedestrians as she rubbed her temple, which still ached horribly. At least it was getting past sunset; sunlight would have undoubtedly made it worse, as much as she liked sunny days. Her usual nearly half-hour trek through the city, however, hadn't made the headache any better either, and it was such a relief when the apartment building she lived in finally came into sight. At last, it was the one part of the day she always looked forward to the most: coming home to greet May, check up on her Geostigma, get some rest, start preparing dinner, and then…

"_Kallie!_"

Startled, Kallie looked up and spotted her neighbor, Mrs. Eliot, rushing hurriedly down the sidewalk towards her. A family friend from their days in Midgar, she had been the one to look after May whenever Uncle or Kallie had to work. While only in her late thirties, the air of incredible maturity she possessed made her seem much older than she really was—she really was like an aunt or grandmother to her, with her kind, caring and motherly personality that Kallie had been so grateful to rely upon in these dark times. But the usually benign face was now replaced with an expression of great anxiety, and Kallie was instantly told that something had to be dreadfully wrong.

"Oh Kallie, thank goodness you're back!"

"Sorry I'm late," Kallie explained quickly, hoping that was the reason. "I had to work—"

"No, it's not that!" Mrs. Eliot broke in the next instant, and Kallie felt another pang of dread. It was a rarity for Mrs. Eliot ever to interrupt anyone, and that could only be a clear sign something was awfully amiss.

What she said next struck fear straight into Kallie's heart.

"It's May! She hasn't come home yet!"

"What?" That was one of the last things she had ever, ever wanted to hear. "Are you… serious?"

Mrs. Eliot nodded anxiously. "I've been waiting for her for an hour, and I contacted her friends, but there hasn't been any—wait, where are you going?"

Without warning, Kallie had suddenly wheeled around and dashed back down the street, barely hearing Mrs. Eliot as she called out to her.

It was unlike May to ever be this late. She usually overlooked it if May had gotten home at least fifteen minutes late, since she knew it had to be hard to keep track of the exact time while out on the streets. But Kallie knew she would never stay out a full hour past her curfew; that simply wasn't May. As she began to scour the streets, frantically searching for the young girl, she could only think of one horrifying possibility:

_I **can't** have lost her to Geostigma too!_

* * *

_Where is he taking us?_

May was sure that had been the millionth time she had wondered that as the unfamiliar scenery passed by them. They were definitely a long way from Edge now, nightfall was coming, and the journey so far had been most uncomfortable. They were forced to sit on the hard wooden floor, and there was scarcely any room between them. The road they were currently covering was also very, very bumpy, and with nothing much to hold onto to keep themselves in place, they were constantly jostled against each other.

As the truck went over the umpteenth bump in the road, May let out a cry and was sent tumbling into the brown-haired boy, who happened to be seated next to her.

"Sorry!" she apologized, quickly scooting back to her previous spot.

"No, it's all right," the boy muttered, brushing himself off. Sitting back up, he returned his attention to the passing landscape. But barely a second afterward, he suddenly gave a groan and clutched his forehead where his Geostigma was.

"You okay?" she asked at once, crawling back to him. He glanced at her, seemingly surprised at her concerned actions.

"Yeah…" But he groaned again as a trickle of black fluid oozed down from the Geostigma scar.

Seeing this, May quickly yanked out the rag she had used earlier today and handed it to him. Gratefully, he took it from her and pressed the cloth to his forehead.

"Thanks," he said, with a short, shy smile that May might have missed had she blinked. When the Geostigma attack was apparently over, he handed it back to her. Seeing he had blackened the rag further, he hastily added, "Sorry about that."

May shook her head as she folded the rag and tucked it away. "Nah, it's no big deal." Smiling at him, she decided to take the opportunity to finally introduce herself. "I'm May. What's your name?"

"It's Denzel."

"Nice to meet you, Denzel." A momentary pause fell. "Do you know where we are?" she then asked him, looking out at the landscape around them.

Denzel shook his head. "No." After a few silent seconds, he spoke up again. "Where do you think that guy's taking us?"

"I don't know."

Involuntarily, she glanced through the window in back of the truck. Through the dirtied glass she could just make out the back of the silver-haired man's head, which had all she had been able to see of him the entire ride. A few times, however, she had been able to glimpse his profile whenever he looked back at them, seeming to be checking on them. Was that out of concern, maybe? Or… something else? The dingy window made it near impossible to tell.

It would have been nice if he had at least told them their destination. She had been hoping he would have, and would have asked him before they left. But the way he looked at her and everyone—that fathomless stare combined with those eerie, feline eyes—made the question stick in her throat. Then, without a word himself, he climbed into the truck and drove off to who knew where. As they showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, her anticipation at being cured was beginning to fade, and steadily being replaced with an uneasy foreboding.

With an anxious sigh, May curled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs, shivering in the chilly slipstream.

_Where **is** he taking us?_

* * *

May had been nowhere to be found.

Nothing Kallie could think of could make her feel any more downcast and terrified than she felt right now. She had searched every tiny alleyway she had come across. She had asked May's friends if they knew where she was. She had asked strangers if they had seen a young girl with brown pigtails and a stuffed moogle anywhere. But, it had all been to no avail: Edge seemingly refused to yield any hints to May's whereabouts.

Having combed the streets for four hours straight, and being unable to locate her little cousin, Kallie hadn't been sure how to break the news to Mrs. Eliot. The woman had been a lonesome widow ever since losing both her husband and her only child two years ago in the bombing of Sector 7. Many times, she had told the Bradfords how much she enjoyed being like a mother to their family, and Kallie had known that the results of her futile search would be a major blow to her.

True, the news had very much upset Mrs. Eliot: her face had fallen into an expression of utter dismay when she saw that Kallie had come back empty-handed. The confirmed disappearance of the young girl thoroughly shook her even more, but still she invited Kallie in and fixed dinner for her. Despite not having much of an appetite, Kallie had gratefully accepted it. Having always been the one to cook for her family, it had felt like forever since someone had made a meal for her.

With a final goodnight to Mrs. Eliot, Kallie returned to her apartment. A large part of her still longed to continue in her search for May, but whatever cries it might have made were drowned out by her fatigue and her desire to sleep; the day had been far too long. After all, it was almost a quarter to one by the time she changed into bedtime attire and finally collapsed into bed.

But if Kallie had hoped to have a peaceful rest, it was anything but. Whatever serene dreams she might have had soon transformed into absolute torment, transporting her back onto the streets of Edge, the city horrifically detailed and realistic as she saw it every day. The same panic and terror held sway over her as she dashed through street after street, in a search that felt completely endless.

Kallie couldn't recall what finally awoke her, being jolted back to consciousness rather unpleasantly, and had been bewildered as to where she was before realizing she was still in her room. The sight, however, failed to relieve her. Thoroughly shaken, she lay there in bed, her breaths heavy and her heart beating faster than usual like she really had just been running. After a minute had passed, she sat up and looked about her room, then placed her head in distressed hands.

_May **has** to come back home…_

Running tense fingers through her now unbraided orange hair, she glanced over at the analog alarm clock on her bedside table, and sighed at seeing it was a few minutes past four in the morning. Great. She had been hoping she would get an adequate amount of sleep before trying to find May again in the early hours of the morning, but it was a no-go, apparently; the chance for some substantial rest seemed to have slipped away.

Rubbing her eyes, she then turned her attention to a framed picture of her family that sat beside her alarm clock, taken just after they had moved into their new apartment in Edge. May was in front, clutching her precious Moogle doll, while her uncle stood directly behind her. One hand rested on the young girl's shoulder, his other arm encircling Kallie's shoulders. Kallie had one arm around his waist, her head pressing against his shoulder with the thumb of her free hand hooked into her jeans' pocket. It felt like ages since she had worn a smile as bright as that one.

_Just a week after we first moved into the apartment._ Kallie was vaguely able to recall how happy she and her small family had felt that day. It had been a while since they had had anything to celebrate, after having been left practically homeless in Meteor's aftermath with barely any hope of recovery. _But you were right, Uncle. We did make it through._

Up until a couple of months ago, however.

Kallie's grip involuntarily tightened over her sheets, though it lessened as she studied his smiling face, full of his usual cheeriness. Even at his untimely death, he had been in his mid-forties, and still good-looking despite the graying hairs at his temples. It was easily evident that he was May's father, having the same hazel eyes, a trait common in the Bradford family. His, however, contained a peculiar glow, a side effect from the time he had spent as a 2nd Class SOLDIER.

_You'd think that he would have been able to easily fight Geostigma, being in SOLDIER_, Kallie thought. _People said they were invincible, after all._ But then again, there was always something even _they_ couldn't defeat.

For a long while, Kallie found herself staring at the photo, caught in something close to hypnosis. It was hard for her to tear her eyes away from the captured image of her happy family, the gleeful expressions on her cousin and father's face. After losing most of their family photos thanks to Meteorfall, this was all she had left of her uncle's smile. Now, as she gazed at May's joyful grin that had barely shown itself since Uncle's death, Kallie couldn't help but wonder if this would be all she had left of her cousin's smile too.

_Please… Don't let me lose someone else to Geostigma._

* * *

Over the rumble of the truck's engine, Yazoo's keen hearing effortlessly picked up the gasps of awe from the children in the back as they entered the Sleeping Forest, a beautiful sight he couldn't care less for. He was more eager to get the children to the base, and to finally get out of this cramped, dingy vehicle, which was not the most comfortable thing at the moment. For hours he had been denied a chance to stretch his cramped muscles or breathe the fresh air, as the window on his side was unfortunately jammed. Alas, there was still just a mile left.

From the seat next to him, his cell phone rang, and after all the times it had gone off today, he was tempted to ignore it this time, to simply concentrate on reaching his destination at last. But, in case it was something important, he answered soon enough.

"Yes?"

"You've got the children, Yazoo?" said Kadaj's voice, and from the excessive amounts of complacency it contained, Yazoo could easily tell he was eagerly anticipating his 'speech' tonight. He hadn't told Yazoo or Loz exactly what he would be saying, only that he had complete confidence the children would fall for his words—they had better, or else his assignment would have been completely for naught.

"Yes, Kadaj. I'm almost there."

A low laugh came from the other end. "Good. I can't wait."

Meanwhile, in the back of the truck, May was completely enraptured by the absolutely wondrous sight. She had never seen anything like this before in her entire life—not even in the picture books she used to own. Even Denzel, who still sat near her, seemed to be in awe. It was simply fantastical: the trees that glowed just as brightly as the moon above, the small, winking orbs of light that drifted about like snow, and the bluish hue that hung in the air.

_Is this the place?_ May really hoped so. She was completely cramped up, and felt as though she was covered with bruises from the ride.

As if in answer to her wishes, the truck, after it had been rolling along nonstop for countless hours, slowly, finally, came to a stop in a glade with the screech of rusty brakes. A soft murmuring began to arise among the children, but it was instantly silenced by the creaky opening of a car door. Peering over the side of the truck, May saw the silver-haired man climb out, but quickly averted her gaze when he walked around to the back. She watched out of the corner of her eye as he opened the back of the truck, then stood to the side for them to get off.

Being the nearest to the cab of the truck, May was one of the last off, and it was such a relief to finally have her feet back on the ground. Nonetheless, she tried to keep her distance from the silver-haired man, as her wariness of him had grown during the long journey. Even if he had promised them all a cure, and it looked like he was going to uphold that promise, she couldn't shake the instinct that there was something wrong about him.

"Follow me." He walked out of the clearing, and the children hurried to follow.

Glancing about to see where Denzel was, she was glad to see he happened to be right next to her, the look of awe that had once been on his face replaced with the skepticism she had seen before. She would have said something to cheer him up, but the man's intimidating presence made her throat feel stuck again. Apparently, the other kids felt the same way too. It would explain why they went along in complete silence, barely any of them making a sound, seemingly afraid to even cough or sneeze.

But then, as they rounded a small bend, they all nearly stopped dead in awe at the sight that met their eyes. May actually let out a gasp of amazement.

Just ahead of them, through a gap in the glowing trees, was a gigantic structure that rose above the trees, seeming to be made of a cluster of enormous, white shells that were easily the size of a house. Whatever this building had once been, or still was used for, it was hard to tell. A pool was stretched out before it, its dark surface barely reflecting the building that glowed faintly like the rest of the surrounding forest, though with a greenish hue instead.

It was then, as her eyes traveled across the pool, that she saw for the first time the three people standing on the opposite shore, directly across from them. Two of them were, without a doubt, the siblings he had talked about: their hair was silver in spite of their youthful appearances, and they wore similar black outfits, though she couldn't see from this distance if their eyes were also that same emerald green.

One, like him, appeared to be in his twenties too, while the other most definitely had to be in his teens, and seemed to resemble more the man who had driven them here. His features were also feminine, delicate looking, and he had a similar slender—yet muscular—build, though he was easily shorter than his brothers. His hair was also much shorter, the ends just brushing his shoulders and hiding nearly half of his face. Like his long-haired brother, from his back hung a harness ending in a leather sheath, yet it clearly held a sword instead of a gun.

The older one, however, couldn't look any more different. He seemed to be the same height as the long-haired one, maybe with an inch or two difference, but instead had a burly, powerfully built body. His features were also much more masculine and tough looking. His hair was much different too; instead of framing his face like the two other brothers, it was brushed completely back from his rugged face and somehow held aloft in the back, with sideburns as well. On his left arm, he wore what looked like a rectangular metal shield with two spikes on one end.

When she saw who the third individual was, though, May was taken aback. It was a little girl with dark, braided hair who couldn't be more than six years old, struggling like mad to get away from the burly man who kept her tightly against his leg. May could tell, though, that her attempts were futile; the man appeared to hold her in place with a grip of steel. Then, she heard Denzel gasp.

"_Marlene?_"

Looking back at him, May saw him staring at the girl with a dropped jaw, a mixed expression of disbelief and shock on his face. The look did nothing for her nerves.

"Y-you know her?" May asked him, startled.

Before he had a chance to answer, the silver-haired man who had led them here suddenly called out:

"Keep moving." He still spoke in that soft tone, though it sharply cut the silence thick with tension, like a knife.

The children, still in a moment of wonder, hastened to obey. They quickened their steps to reach the man who stood at the very edge of the shore on their side of the pool, his body at an angle to them. He watched with an expression not unlike boredom as they hurried up to him, and he didn't make them stop until they were at the shore.

"Wait here." He headed off around the edge of the pool.

After watching him go, May looked back at the three across the pool. The girl named Marlene was still trying to get away, and May felt her stomach turn over uncomfortably as she watched her. Marlene struggled with such perseverance that she clearly knew something was terribly wrong here, and Denzel's reaction at seeing her only made her feel even sicker with dread. Gripping Mog even tighter, she bit her lip nervously.

In the meantime, Yazoo had reached the other side of the pool, where his brothers stood waiting for him with the little girl Loz said he would bring.

"Welcome back, Yazoo," Kadaj said, greeting him with his usual smirk. "No trouble getting here, I hope."

"Of course not," Yazoo replied, and soon became aware of the little girl that clung to Loz's leg, looking at him with terror deep in her eyes, plainly at seeing there was yet another silver-haired brother. Giving her a cold, menacing look that instantly made her shrink away, he then turned his eyes on something he had just noticed sitting open on the other side of Loz.

"Now, what do we have here?"

He walked over to the metal chest that sat open, full to the brim with what could only be materia. Loz chuckled, most likely already having taken a materia or two himself.

"Help yourself," he said.

His gaze never leaving the chest, Yazoo's eyes wandered over the many small, glowing orbs that came in a myriad of colors before picking up a green one. Walking over to the other side of the chest, he then pressed the materia into his bicep and basked in the power that coursed through him as it merged with his arm. A Fire materia, was it?

"Where did you find these?" asked Yazoo casually, turning his gaze back on his brothers. He was sure that Kadaj and Loz hadn't picked these all up from random places on their way here, because he could feel in the high level of this materia that someone had been working with it a long time.

"In Brother's place," Loz informed him, only too obviously proud of his accomplishment. "They're his. Or were."

Kadaj let slip a snicker. Unnoticed by him or Loz, though, the little girl had lost her fearful expression and found enough courage to glare up at the burly man, though only for the moment. It faded back into trepidation when Kadaj's smirk melted into a suddenly calm, emotionless expression. He turned and swaggered toward the edge of the pool, finally about to give the children the speech to turn them to their side.

May's fear had only been intensifying as she had watched the silver-haired trio, and when he had inserted that materia right into his arm, that just freaked her out. She wished that she could just run away, to be anywhere but here. But as much as she wanted to flee, her bones felt like they had become lead, and she knew that she would never be able to get far before they would catch her anyways.

For what felt like the hundredth time that evening, she tried her best to contain her fright as the youngest-looking one approached the edge of the opposite shore, fearful that he could see right through her. When he stopped so his boots were barely inches from touching the water, her hand clenched Mog even more, and she became aware of how damp his stuffed arm was from her sweat. If he could somehow come to life and fly her away from here… they couldn't possibly catch her that way, right?

_But, what about the long-haired one? He has a gun…_

May jumped slightly when the apparent youngest suddenly spoke out to them, his voice loud and clear. Raising his hands high above his head, he outstretched his arms and tilted his head back, as if to gaze at the starless sky above.

"Mother has given me a very special gift," he said, his face still turned to the heavens, his voice echoing across the pool.

The words immediately confused—and troubled—May. _Mother…? He can't mean…_

"The power to fight…" Suddenly, in a swift, fluid movement, he lowered his head back down to look at them all again, emerald eyes blazing, and spat out words etched with the greatest loathing. "Against a planet that torments humanity."

May was stunned. _What? Humanity means us, right? But how can the planet…?_

"She gave this gift to all her children. That's right…" Kadaj could sense the children were already astounded by his speech. "You and I are brethren. Brothers and sisters, chosen when we inherited Mother's mimetic legacy through the Lifestream!" he exclaimed, turning around and walking back towards his brothers, his hands clenching into fists as they shot up into the air once again.

May was utterly bewildered by now. Brothers… and sisters? How could that be? How could she be related to all these kids that she had never seen before in her entire life, much less him and his other brothers behind him? How in all the world could she be related to them? What was 'mimetic'?

Yet, just like everyone else in the crowd, she was finding herself being drawn in by the eloquence of his words.

"But…" A deadly amount of emphasis was dripped on that one word as he spun back around to face them all again. "The Planet doesn't approve of that at all! It is doing everything it can to hold us back!" Kadaj now raised his hand again to point at them all in turn, proceeding to pound them with his vicious words. "That's why it's wracking our bodies with pain, and filling our hearts with doubt!" His face had now become a fierce glare, those emerald eyes continuing to burn violently.

_The planet… is that why Daddy died?_ May suddenly felt like crying. _The planet is why I hurt so much all the time?_

"Now, I shall heal you."

At once, May reverted her attention back to him, and saw he had lost that glare, his expression softened to something that was between a smile and a smirk.

"And we will go to Mother together!"

And the moment Kadaj had said that, an amazing thing began to happen. Every child watched, in absolute wonder, as an aura of blue and white fire began to radiate from his body.

"We will join as a family, and strike back at the planet!"

All of the children stared, entranced by the incredible sight as the bluish inferno burned and raged around him, growing stronger with every word he said, his image distorted by the flames. But as quickly as it had come, the blaze had faded away, revealing he was looking fixedly at them all again.

"Do as I do," he commanded.

Slowly, he began to wade into the water, and they continued to watch in awe at the next extraordinary thing that occurred. In the very instant his feet disturbed the surface, a swirling blackness began to emanate from him throughout the water, turning it pitch black. Stopping in the pool's center, he cupped his hands full of the black water and lifted it to his lips, tilting his head back as he drank it. With a sigh, his arms dropped back to his sides, splashing through the water. He leveled his gaze back down on them, a cruel smirk on his face as he eyed them intently, waiting for them to follow.

They did.

They too waded into the water until it was up to their waist, some up to their chest. They too cupped it in their hands, just as he had demonstrated, and drank it. May was one of the first ones in, careful to keep her eyes averted from his. The water was chillingly cold, and she wondered why they had to go in the water in the first place. Couldn't they have just drunk it from the sides? But, maybe this was the only way the cure would work properly.

Suppressing her shivers and ignoring the goosebumps creeping up her legs and arms, May waded in deeper, until she actually came to being a mere yard away from where the silver-haired boy stood, watching them closely. Still taking measures to avoid his eerie gaze, she stared down at the black water then, tucking Mog under her arm (who she just noticed she had accidentally submerged), slowly lowered her hands into the pool. Letting them linger underwater there for a few moments, she lifted them again, this time full of the black water. Raising her cupped hands to her lips, May quickly drank the water before it could all slip away.

As it slipped down her parched throat, May thought she actually felt something, like a slight tingle that raced through her entire body, and at once, she believed the cure to be true. For the first time that night, her fears were actually being lifted as she realized the silver-haired men might not have been lying after all. But, before she could feel her neck or look at her arms to see if anything had happened to her Geostigma, if the cure was working, the scariest thing besieged her senses.

Everything was becoming distorted to her. She was becoming numb to the coldness of the water. The images of the silver-haired men were becoming blurred and faint, slipping in and out of focus. The cries of a frightened girl's voice sounded distant and indistinct, as if she was turning deaf. She felt as though she had lost control of her body. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream, but nothing would obey her.

She lost sense of who she was. She couldn't remember anything about herself. She couldn't remember anything that had happened. None of the fear. None of the doubt. Kallie, Daddy, Mrs. Eliot, her friends—she forgot everything. All she knew was the voice that whispered inside her head, and the instinct that tugged at every bit of her body.

She had something she needed to do. She had someplace to go. There was someone she needed to find.

_Mother…_

May would never know the way her eyes had gone from hazel to eerie green, or how her pupils had turned to catlike slits.


	2. Violaters And Saviors

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 2**

_Violators And Saviors_

The skies were just as overcast and bleak as Kadaj remembered when he and his brothers had last been here, in the barren wasteland that surrounded Edge and Midgar. After a moment's deliberation, he decided that his current mood rather matched the gloomy weather. He knew Loz and Yazoo were feeling the same way as well; they had all faced a huge disappointment in failing to kill the traitor last night.

His blood still boiled with anger and frustration when he remembered their near-victory, a victory so near he could have almost tasted it. It hadn't surprised Kadaj at all when he had brought down Brother with only a few strikes from Souba, and it had delighted him that destroying one of their only obstacles would be so ridiculously easy. He had prepared to raise Souba once more, to finally put an end to the miserable traitor lying defeated before him.

_I was so close…_

The only thing that had really cheered Kadaj up after last night's events were their personal bloodhounds, the children who had been awakened to the Reunion instinct. That achievement still continued to be successful in searching for Mother: the trio was finally being pointed in the right direction, and that happened to be, of all places, Edge.

Already, Kadaj had all of this planned out: they were first going to stop in Midgar where Yazoo had left his bike, leave the truck there, and while the trio would continue on their bikes, the children would proceed on foot. Loz and Yazoo were supposed to take charge of the children and watch after them. Kadaj, in the meantime, had an 'appointment' with the President to discuss the matter of Mother's location.

During this 'appointment', Kadaj hoped to confirm his hunch that Mother was somewhere in the general area around Midgar. However, it was highly likely that the President or a peon of his had her in their possession, despite the President's assurance that it had been 'lost'. If that were the case, then it would mean an even harder task of retrieving Mother, especially if these people happened to be powerful. It worried Kadaj that Big Brother had more allies like the unknown assailant who had rescued him, and thus provide a real obstacle in their mission.

But, he was determined to stop at nothing. For Mother, for the destruction of a miserable planet like this, he was willing to do anything.

* * *

Mornings were never Kallie's favorite time of the day, for there was rarely a time when she hadn't awakened in a groggy state. With much disconcerted grumbling, her hand automatically clamped down on the snooze button of her alarm clock to shut the damn thing up. Propping herself up on one elbow, Kallie yawned and rubbed her eyes with her free hand, yet dimly felt that something wasn't quite right. Then, as if she had just been struck by a Thundaga spell, Kallie came out of her state with a shock when it she remembered that May was missing.

With a jolt, she sat up abruptly in bed, though her head instantly met the underside of the bunk bed's wooden frame. Putting a hand to the new bump and cursing the low frame, Kallie stared at her alarm more carefully through watering eyes. To her deep dismay, she saw it was already five minutes to ten—her alarm clock wasn't what had woken her up.

_But I swore I set it for seven!_ Ducking under the frame, she rushed over to her dresser and threw on whatever clothes her hand first took a hold of. All the while, she muttered one profanity after another. _Damn it, I must have slept through it again! And I didn't call myself in—they'll dock my pay for that!_ Wonderful, just what she needed.

Yet despite her worry about work, her concern for May remained greater. No matter how much sleep she would have gotten, Kallie had planned to get up as early as possible in order to find May. If she had indeed been finally claimed by her Geostigma, who knew what might've happened to her body? Pessimism was her one companion as she finished dressing and more or less dashed into the kitchen, where she only paused to grab her keys from the counter.

Not giving breakfast a second thought, she continued to the front door and jammed the key into the lock. There, she was just about to turn it when something on the floor caught her eye. Her hand still clutching the key, Kallie looked down at the paper once more and scrutinized it more closely.

_That's Mrs. Eliot's handwriting._ Kallie's mind began to race as she picked up the note, a hundred percent positive it was about May. As certain as she was, though, did it bode ill or bring good news? It didn't exactly yield either, but the contents did concern her missing cousin, and it was with a gripping fervor that Kallie read:

_Kallie,_

_I hope you slept well. I noticed you still didn't seem to be up, so I called you in absent for work today and left you this note. As for May, I employed the help of a few friends who were willing to help search for her. They said they would search all day if they had to. I'll be calling in around ten to see how you're doing. Please don't worry; these people are reliable and I know they'll help us find May._

_Mrs. Eliot_

Reading the note several times over to make sure she had gotten everything correct, Kallie heaved a deep sigh and sank to her knees, hugging the note to herself as if it had blared May had been found alive.

"You are a savior, Mrs. Eliot," she murmured to herself. "A _savior_."

And as if it had been waiting for that cue, the next miraculous thing happened: the phone suddenly rang audibly from its place on the counter next to the fridge. It startled Kallie for a moment, but she pounced on it in anticipation, hoping against hope it was something positive about May. Even if the searchers hadn't found her yet, Kallie only needed reassurance in the form of a clue or indication she was still alive.

"Hello?" she asked the instant she had been able to hit the talk button. "Is that you, Mrs. Eliot?"

"It is," the gentle, calm voice answered. But, not even waiting to hear if Mrs. Eliot had something to say, Kallie had poured out a stream of questions, unable to bear her anxiety anymore.

"Did you find her yet? Did you find any sign of her? Is there any sign she's…?" However, Kallie realized then her interruption, and trailed off. "Sorry. Go on."

"No, it's quite all right," Mrs. Eliot assured her in the same calm tone, which contained something like a laugh. "I was hoping you'd be up by now. How do you feel?"

"Okay, I suppose," Kallie said, but felt far from it. "I actually woke up only a few minutes ago. I slept through my alarm. But more importantly…" She was determined to plant the conversation firmly on the subject of May. "How's the search coming?"

"We weren't able to find her yet, nor any trace of her," she reported gravely. "However, we did find a possible clue as to what might've happened to her. After asking around for a while, we soon found out that children with Geostigma have gone missing all over Edge as well."

_That doesn't sound too unusual_, Kallie thought glumly. _Tons die every day._

As if Mrs. Eliot had read her mind through the telephone line, she added, "The only thing is, there isn't any sign that these children are dead. In fact, just like May, there's not a single trace of them."

"So… did you find a possible reason why they all could've disappeared like that?"

"Actually, yes," Mrs. Eliot affirmed, and Kallie's spirits suddenly leapt. "I asked my friend, Wayne, if he had seen any of the missing children."

"And?" urged Kallie.

"He had seen a truck filled with children in the back head out of town around four o'clock yesterday."

"What? Seriously?" she nearly cried, her hopes continuing to build. "Did he see May? Did he see the driver?"

"I did ask that, but he hadn't been able to see either. The only reason he remembers the truck, he says, is because it was full of kids. He became suspicious and tried to get a closer look, but it drove away before he got a chance. However, he also did mention that someone else might be searching for the kids too—a man approached him last night, asking if he had seen anything suspicious regarding missing children."

There was a long lull between them as Kallie absorbed all of this information with both relief and a new sense of anxiety. It relieved her immensely that there was a possibility May had not succumbed to her Geostigma and was indeed alive, and that someone else might be looking too. What Wayne had witnessed, however, greatly disturbed the little elation Kallie felt, though she didn't get a chance to voice her revived worry.

"Oh, my time on this payphone is almost up," said Mrs. Eliot in a rush, clearly dismayed she could not talk longer. "Why don't you meet me near the Meteor monument? I'm—"

Yet before Mrs. Eliot could finish telling where she was, the call was ended with a click, followed shortly afterward by the buzz of the dial tone. However, with her determination renewed, Kallie prepared to leave as soon as possible. Hastily braiding her hair into its usual plait and donning her weathered boots that she wore daily, Kallie left the apartment, knowing she hadn't another second to lose.

* * *

Loz could feel a vein throbbing heatedly in his temple, only a symptom of the impending headache that had kept him in a sour mood all morning. For him, following zombie-like kids around as they searched for Mother—even as rewarding as the search might yield—hadn't helped his temper. They had aimlessly wandered for what felt like hours, and often Loz got so frustrated that he had been brought close to tears.

What had given him a ray of hope, though, had been when the children had formed a circle around the monument shaped in the likeness of Meteor, a clear indicator they had finally discovered something. Elated that they could have at last found the spot, Loz and Yazoo had rigged the entire structure with chains to tear it down, so as to diminish the chance of harming Mother if she were there. Yet, just as his optimism had grown, what had made Loz's headache flare back to life was the crowd that had accumulated in Edge's center.

The noise level was almost unbearable for Loz to tolerate without venting some of his anger, and that could be quite nasty if they didn't shut up soon. It felt like every single one of them were shouting a garble of words that had become lost and obscure in the immeasurable din. One could almost feel the anger and injustice that simmered from the mass of people. Despite his annoyed mood, he watched amusedly as they tried to take back their child, or even attempt to injure Loz and Yazoo out of revenge.

"Hey, what are you doin'!" cried one man, whose shout could actually be discerned over the babble.

It was hopeless for them, however. An invisible barrier seemed to stop them in their tracks, even though the only obstacles were the children, whom were holding their job as human shields so no one would interfere. But Loz knew that once he and Yazoo proceeded to try and tear down the monument to see if it indeed hid Mother, the crowd would probably snap and come at them like a riot. Their human shields definitely wouldn't be enough.

"How do you sickos justify this!" shouted another man. He in particular seemed enraged enough that he had lost his common sense, and clearly had thoughts of dealing serious harm to the two brothers. Luckily for him, a fearful-looking woman was holding him back.

After again surveying the crowds with disdain, Loz looked back at Yazoo, whom had hardly spoken a word since they had left the Forgotten City. Of course, he looked as nonchalant and impassive as usual on the outside, but on the inside Loz was sure he was as irritated by the crowds as he was. Yazoo turned to look back at him, and Loz knew he'd been right. There was a look in his eye that practically asked, "Should we get rid of these people now?"

Though Loz might have derided Yazoo for letting an emotion slip for once, he did not quite have the humor at the moment. Instead, he merely grunted and nodded his assent. With gladness that remained diminutive as always, Yazoo turned back to the crowds and raised a hand. The instant his hand had gone up, palm out, the crowd went deathly silent. Some backed away, everyone's eyes fixed, terrified, on the two brothers, and a cloud of foreboding fell. They did not have to wait breathless for long before a low, rumbling growl was heard, and then, total chaos broke out.

* * *

Not long beforehand, Kallie had been making steady progress towards the town's center where Mrs. Eliot said she would be waiting. It was in one of these moments that she wished she had a vehicle of some sort—it might've saved her a lot of trouble in trying to reach her destination. Dashing through the streets thankfully wasn't a difficult task for Kallie, given she'd been in good shape most of her life, but her lungs were starting to clamber for air.

Planning to rest just for a little bit, she slumped against the side of a building, disregarding the glances from curious passer-bys. Impatiently, she waited for the stitch in her side to subside and her breath to return, feeling the pressure of her precious seconds ticking away. Just when she thought she would need another minute to recover, however, that was when the screams erupted out in the distance.

"What the—?"

Her bewilderment piqued, she, along with the pedestrians around her, looked to where the terrified screams continued to emanate. Straightening up, she continued to stare off in that direction, hearing the people around her murmur among themselves with alarm and concern. Their anxious inquiries, however, were soon to be answered: it wasn't long before a cluster of individuals came dashing down the street, breathless, wide-eyed, and terrified.

"Monsters!" one of them screamed, running without pause. "Monsters! In the city center! _Run!_"

_The city's center?_ That sent a panicked jolt through Kallie. _Mrs. Eliot said she would meet me there, by the Meteor Monument!_

While most obeyed the screaming woman and fled as far from the source as possible, Kallie took to her heels against the fleeing crowd, uttering quick apologies to those that she ran into and ignored those who snapped back in disgruntlement. Although she well knew this was a potentially dangerous situation, she had to know if Mrs. Eliot was all right; she didn't want to be losing anyone else today. Dodging more fleeing pedestrians, she rounded the street corner, and stopped dead in her tracks.

Where cars would have been bustling in a usual city day, people were now running helter-skelter, as were beasts like Kallie had never seen before. Reminiscent of armored, doglike skeletons, they had black leathery skin and large, deadly talons, emitting unearthly sounds as they charged down whatever innocent victim happened to be in their way. All the while, yet more of these creatures were literally appearing out of thin air in clouds of black smoke.

Still unable to absorb the chaotic sight, Kallie was rooted to the spot as she watched the beasts wreak their havoc upon the city's center. She thought she had seen it all, though this scene easily proved she had been wrong to assume so. First a giant celestial rock that had obliterated Midgar, and now these completely alien, freakish monsters?

"Kallie!"

Enormous relief swept through Kallie at the sound of that familiar voice. Turning in the direction where she had heard it, she saw Mrs. Eliot hurrying towards her, showing strains of even more worry, undoubtedly caused by the pandemonium around them.

"What the hell's going on here?" Kallie demanded of Mrs. Eliot the second she was in earshot. The swear might have been a bit harsh, especially towards a dear family friend, but Kallie didn't have room for tact right now.

"These… people…" the woman gasped. It appeared as though she had been running as much as Kallie had. Instead of waiting to get enough breath to speak coherently again, Mrs. Eliot merely waved her hand at the monument.

Kallie looked above the frantic people and creatures dashing through her line of vision, and saw the two persons standing at the monument's base. Appearing to be unruffled by the mayhem going on around them, each gripped a long length of chain that, in fact, was wrapped around the monument. It wasn't the only odd thing she noted about them, though; both were wearing unusual, completely black outfits, and their hair was also plaintively silver, yet they were at least in their twenties. Even from this distance, she could tell they were not normal people…

"They're the ones who unleashed these… monsters," Mrs. Eliot spoke up, having finally caught her breath, but Kallie had barely heard her.

Having been distracted by the two persons in question and her vision partially blocked by the terrified crowds, Kallie had not seen the children stationed around the monument's perimeter. They stood so perfectly still it wasn't surprising—they could have easily passed for statues. Yet, that was what made her skin crawl; it just looked so unnatural, so abnormal.

And then, something familiar caught her eye: a pair of brown pigtails, and a moogle doll.

"_May!_"

It came out as more of a scream than a mere exclamation. Mrs. Eliot, who had not seen May either, tried looking where Kallie was staring, dumbfounded. Sure enough, there was the once-missing girl, standing as stock-still and rigid as all the other children. Yet by the time she had seen the younger cousin, and was shocked too by her appearance, Kallie had vanished from her side. The instant she had seen May, she had dashed head-on into the fray.

"Kallie, be careful!" Mrs. Eliot tried to warn her, but it was in vain, as Kallie was already swallowed up in the scene.

* * *

After spending what felt like hours interrogating the President, on one of the higher floors inside an unfinished building, both Kadaj's patience and temper were being pushed to the limit. The President had been stubborn indeed, answering all of Kadaj's inquiries vaguely or not at all, and taking apparent delight in frustrating the silver-haired youth, despite his predicament. After last night, this was the last thing he needed.

"Please sir, is that your excuse for going after Mother yourself?" Kadaj derided, keeping his back to the President as he glared down into the street below. "You don't seem all that sorry."

"Sorry?" the President repeated, and it sounded like he was going to laugh. "Why, I've never had this much fun."

Kadaj was sure the President imagined his words were nothing more than empty threats, but he was going to prove him wrong. As the materia he had embedded in his arm began to glow brightly, a smirk crossed Kadaj's features in place of the glare, and he turned around to face the President.

"Good. Then let's put an end to all of this."

The materia shone with an even greater brilliance as he raised his arm, blue-green, flame-like energy swirling about as he tapped into the knowledge of the Cetra that resided with him. For an instant, he was sure he caught a flash of fear and foreboding across what could be seen of the President's face beneath the blanket, and it was with a renewed feeling of superiority that Kadaj's smirk broadened. Then, he whirled and shot the magical energy into the clouds. What appeared to be runes of a language long lost shimmered in the wake of his spell before fading away, and Kadaj watched in anticipation as the summoning took place.

Where his spell had struck the overcast sky, the clouds flashed with lightning and began to twist in a funnel-like formation, as if a tornado was about to descend. Down below in Edge, people watched in dread and awe as the formation broke away from the clouds. No sooner had that happened than it began to grow in size, silvery lines crisscrossing over the formation as it shaped into a fearsome head. The massive, armored body soon followed, finishing off with Bahamut SIN spreading its huge, insect-like wings and swooping down upon the city to do its caller's bidding.

* * *

As much as she had wanted to finally reunite with her lost cousin, it wasn't exactly the best move to charge straight into a perilous situation, like the one she had just gotten herself in the middle of—Kallie hadn't even gone halfway before someone had smacked into her full force. Although the person she collided with did not fall, the impact jarred her senses and sent her careening to the ground, where she continued to be trampled on by a couple more people.

Knowing she would get run over again if she didn't get up quicker, Kallie was just about to stand when she saw something approaching out of the corner of her eye, and flattened herself to the ground again. She was just in time, as she had narrowly missed being struck by one of those creatures, which had come sailing right over her. Reveling her luck as she watched it run off, Kallie jumped to her feet.

Being so concentrated on staying out of a collision course, Kallie had not even noticed the summoning of Bahamut SIN, or the two newcomers who had come to challenge Loz and Yazoo. At seeing May in such a frozen, soulless state, a different sort of dread was forming in the pit of her stomach. Even from a distance, she knew something had happened to all of these children, and that couldn't be anything good.

"May!" Kallie cried the instant she had reached her cousin. "May! You're alive!"

But just as Kallie had feared, May was completely unresponsive. Her head was still turned toward the ground, no part of her body even swaying an inch in reaction to Kallie. It was as if she really had become a zombie, or something of the sort that was no better.

"May!" Kallie cried again, the only way she could be heard above the din. "May! What happened to you? Where the hell've you been? _Say_ something, damn it!"

In an act of desperation, Kallie tightly clenched her shoulder, grasped May's chin with a firm grip, and turned her face upwards so the young girl would be forced to have eye contact. But the instant she had, Kallie completely let go, repulsed, backing away in horror at what she saw.

May's head was still turned upward by Kallie's actions, unmoving in place as if she really were nothing more than a doll. Those eyes that had caused Kallie to back away were no longer the eyes of her cousin. They were no longer the hazel she remembered. Instead, they had turned to a piercing, emerald green, a color that she had never seen in natural eyes, and what frightened Kallie most of all was that her pupils were also slitted like a cat's.

"May…" Kallie's knees were trembling, threatening to buckle beneath her. She would have never imagined anything like this had happened to May. She couldn't believe that it was her cousin standing before her.

_What… what the hell's happened to you?_

Yet, it was in that moment when she remembered the two silver-haired individuals she had seen before, the ones responsible for the creatures that were causing all this chaos. As Kallie realized they could be the only ones behind the condition of May and all the kids around her, anger and indignation completely consumed the horror she felt.

"_You'll pay for this!_"

And she made to beeline towards them. She did not consider that the odds were completely against her, that they could easily kill her with a single blow. Even if she had known, she wouldn't have cared; her mind was solely hell-bent on just retaliating as much as she possibly could. But, she had only taken a single step onto the dais of the monument when something grabbed her around the waist.

The grip itself wasn't what had really stopped Kallie, but just the pure surprise. Glancing down, bewildered, she saw with a shock that it was May. The young girl had both of her arms around Kallie's middle, while her face was turned away so Kallie couldn't see whether or not the blank expression was gone. Hope flooded her that May, some way or another, had snapped out of her trance.

"May!" she cried, in the hopes that May be able to finally hear her again. But as she had feared, no answer came forth. "Come on, May! You've got to hear me now!"

However, Kallie's attempts to get a response from her cousin were cut short when something enormous struck with such impact that it make the ground quake. Her heart pounding, she looked up, and her jaw dropped open again, for a massive, dragon-like creature had landed not even a hundred feet away from her. Kallie was probably lucky, though—some distance away, a dark-haired woman, her arms protectively around a likewise rigid boy, was close enough to have been flattened by this fearsome new arrival.

Bellowing, the monster suddenly half leapt, half flew with alarming speed to the top of the monument, and landed there like it was a perch. It started to viciously tear apart the top of the monument as easily as though it were made of paper instead of iron, sending bits of metal raining down, and Kallie knew it was time to high tail it out of there.

"Shit!" Bending down, she tried to scoop up May in her arms, but even then, May resisted. This was now getting exasperating. "Move, damn it!"

As she struggled desperately with May, Kallie could hear the monster behind her. It roared, then, out of the corner of her eye she saw something blue begin to glow with extreme brightness. Looking up, her eyes widened when she saw brilliant blue fire spilling out of its maw, and it took flight again, straight up above the monument. The light of its oncoming attack illuminated the ground below, growing brighter with every beat of its wings.

Sensing the inevitable destruction that this creature was about to bring, Kallie doubled her efforts to get May to cooperate, and finally was able to hoist her off the ground. Something had robbed May of her ability to resist, and she did not struggle as Kallie ran as fast as she possibly could from the monument.

A pause seem to stretch then, if only briefly, before Bahamut SIN unleashed the attack. Kallie only heard the rushing roar of the air as Mega Flare was fired down upon the monument, and the structure was blown apart. Flaming debris were sent flying in every direction, and an immense shockwave ensued, hurling every person within the proximity of the blast to the ground. Kallie felt the shockwave tear through her, sending her flying off her feet and ripping May from her arms. Her head struck the pavement, and she only had a glimpse of the last of the explosion before all went black.

Overhead, Bahamut SIN bellowed as if in triumph.

* * *

So far, it had been nothing but a win situation for Loz and Yazoo. It also had been perfectly ideal for venting out some frustration, as the Turks' presence had been a great annoyance to both of them. Though they did have guts in continuing to fight the silver-haired brothers, the interferers had already proved they were inept in handling the situation after running away at the sight of Bahamut SIN, and the remnants were determined to make sure the Turks knew their imbecilic place.

"Forget your little Reunion and get a grip!" the fiery-haired Turk yelled at Yazoo, attempting to strike his opponent with the EMR for the umpteenth time in the fight so far. And for the umpteenth time, Yazoo blocked him.

"All we want is to be with Mother!" Yazoo responded, dodging another swing of the EMR and lashing out at Reno with a roundhouse kick. The remnant smirked as the kick struck home in the Turk's face, sending him flying off the top of the building where they had been battling.

Down below in the street where the fight between the bald Turk and Loz was currently ensuing, Loz was as equally victorious as his brother. The Turk, although closely matching him in strength, was losing.

"Mother will know," Loz said to the beaten Rude as he endeavored to stand back up.

"When she gets here, she'll decide what's best." As the Turk finally straightened up, Loz glared back at him to emphasize his point. "Now, where's Mother?"

Although it was doubtful Rude would have answered, he wouldn't have been able to anyways. The moment he had gotten back on his feet, a large metal sign came crashing down without warning, right down onto the Turk's bald head. When it would have incapacitated an ordinary human, it appeared to have only stunned him.

"Damn… sign…" he grumbled in pain as he staggered about, sunglasses askew.

Loz might have taken the opportunity to strike a fatal blow, but the sight rather amused him as the Turk tried to regain his balance. A second later, there was a cry from above, and the fiery-haired Turk that Yazoo had been fighting came plummeting out of nowhere like the sign had. Whether he meant to or not, the bald Turk caught his companion as he fell, knocking him flat to the pavement. With a scoff, Yazoo landed beside his brother, and Loz suddenly realized where the fiery-haired Turk had come from.

The Turks lay where they had fallen, stunned, before the fiery-haired Turk was able to stand. In doing so, though, he stepped on Rude's sunglasses and effectively crushed them, much to the bald Turk's dismay. But as he too stood, he instantly whipped out another pair and put them on, continuing to glare in Reno's direction.

"Mother shmuther," the fiery-haired Turk mumbled in annoyance, unaware of what he had done to Rude's eyewear as he dusted himself off. "It's Jenova's friggin' head!"

That touched a nerve in both of the silver-haired brothers.

"Hey!" Loz snapped, firing up instantly. Even Yazoo forgot to hide his emotions for once.

"I will not have you refer to Mother that way!" he growled threateningly, stepping forward in indignation. How _dare_ they call her something as base as that!

"You meanie!"

The Turks were completely composed all of a sudden as they brushed the last of the dust off their suits. Rude did a last adjustment to his new pair of specs, then said, in his usual deep intonation, "Our apologies."

"Your ma's cool," Reno muttered, looking back at his companion. Then, as if it had hit him that he had just contradicted himself, he suddenly added, "What the hell am I sayin'!"

With lightning speed that took the silver-haired brothers completely off guard, they rushed at their opponents. The fiery-haired Turk leapt into the air, and Yazoo was quick to follow suit, unwilling to let his enemy get the better of him. Down on the ground, Loz had been so sidetracked watching his brother that he had not seen Rude coming, and received a hard blow to his face that sent him reeling to the ground.

Above, just when Yazoo had been ready to strike, he heard Loz give a grunt of pain from below. Distracted, Yazoo glanced down, but it proved to be a costly mistake. The moment he had looked away from his target, he felt a strong kick from Reno connect with his stomach, forcefully knocking him from the air. Even when he had struck the road, he skidded several feet backwards before he came to a halt.

Thoroughly angered now, Yazoo stood with as much dignity as he could, while Loz got furiously to his feet, charged the Turks, and hurled a punch back at Reno. Loz's fury showed in his attack, as the punch was so strong it sent both Reno and Rude flying halfway down the street, crashing into the asphalt. Yet even as they endeavored to stand back up, wincing with pain, Yazoo and Loz had them surrounded seconds later, haughtily chuckling as they faced their opponents again.

They might have been beaten down once, but they knew this battle was still going to be theirs to win.

* * *

Thankfully for Kallie, she had only remained unconscious for about a minute after the explosion, though when she finally came to, recovery was slow and painful. As she gingerly sat up, her body ached all over from the fall, and she had a wracking headache to add to it. When she had put a hand to her forehead where it throbbed, not only did she find blood on her fingertips, but also that she had skinned her palms as she had tried to break her fall. From the way she hurt and stung all over, Kallie was sure she was going to see quite a few bruises later. If she lived to see later, that was.

The monsters were still running amuck, undaunted by the explosion, the perpetrator of which was still hanging around. All that was left of the structure were the flaming ruins that were strewn about the place, along with the countless people who still lay everywhere on the ground. Merely stunned, unconscious, or even dead, it was hard to tell, though there were some getting to their feet. Kallie was attempting to do the same, but she was still a little disorientated, and it wasn't an easy endeavor. What made Kallie's equilibrium return, however, was when she saw May lying, unmoving, a few yards away.

Alarmed, Kallie stumbled to her feet and quickly covered the distance between her and May. Dropping to her knees beside May, she fearfully lifted her into her arms. The girl's eyes had closed, hiding the soulless stare, and her body felt limp and lifeless. Kallie shook her head, silently mouthing her cousin's name, unable to accept the possibility. But before she could check the girl's vital signs, she heard the screech of a Shadow Creeper nearby. Looking over her shoulder, Kallie saw the creature coming straight towards her.

"Bring it on, _bastard_," she hissed under her breath.

Despite its ferocious appearance, it was as if she had completely forgotten the concept of fear—Kallie was now pissed enough that she didn't care what this thing would do to her. A burning, raging heat unlike anything she had felt before was consuming her common sense; avenging her cousin was the only clear thought she had anymore. Placing May back on the ground, she stood up, facing the oncoming beast. She would never go down without a fight.

Even when the thing screeched, leaping up into the air and bearing down upon her, Kallie did not falter. As its claws came within inches of her, close enough to tear her face off, Kallie never even cringed. But, she did do the only—and perhaps stupidest thing—she could have done for someone as powerless as her against such a vicious creature: she simply raised both of her hands, palms out, towards the creature.

Yet incredibly, as she felt her palms come within connection to the Shadow Creeper, close enough to have torn her hands off with its terrible claws, the most miraculous thing happened.

Instead of touching hard, leathery skin, or feeling the excruciating pain of having her limbs torn off, she felt an intense, sudden heat, as if a fire had ignited between them. Whatever seemed to have been an explosion had abruptly brought Kallie to her senses, throwing her backwards as her arms flew up to shield herself. Yet, as bright light flared through her closed eyelids, it was shortly followed by the unmistakable shriek of the Shadow Creeper. In wonder and disbelief, Kallie's eyes shot open, and saw the creature leaping backwards, lengthening the distance between them. She sat there on the ground, stunned, as it screeched as if in pain, its tail whipping about madly.

However, its recovery was rapid, and whatever had happened seemed to only piss it off even more. With a more ferocious snarl, it lunged at her again, and Kallie braced yet again for another attack, bewildered at what had taken place, and not sure how much more of this she could take. Kallie was spared the effort, though. Its talons had barely touched the pavement before something scarlet streaked by, tearing through the creature and making it dissipate into smoke.

Kallie blinked, staring where the Shadow Creeper had once been, then looked where she had seen the scarlet blur go. The first thing she saw that could have possibly been her savior was a red-furred animal that looked like some kind of large cat, with a tail that ended in a flame, and a stuffed animal on its back. It was the tail that Kallie noted, realizing it could have been the flash of light and the intense heat she had felt before. If it had indeed been her savior that time too, there was no way she could thank it, as it had gone as soon as it had appeared.

"Ka…llie?"

The catlike creature was forgotten in an instant. Kallie whirled around to see May, still lying on the ground, but once again the cousin she knew. The frightening green eyes were gone, and now familiar hazel ones were staring at her in confusion and utmost relief. An incoherent cry of joy escaped Kallie, and she embraced the girl.

"You're all right! You're here!" Kallie cried into May's shoulder, not even realizing that she shouldn't be squeezing her so tightly after all the trauma she had endured.

"Couz?" came her voice, which sounded utterly confused, though it held unmistakable happiness that it was Kallie holding her.

But as happy as she was to see May alive and well, Kallie knew their reunion shouldn't be celebrated out here in the open where havoc was still being wreaked. Not wanting to waste time in asking May if she could stand or walk, she hurriedly scooped up the young girl, along with the moogle doll that had been beside her, and then made her mad dash to safety. She wasn't going to let them harm May any further.

At long last, as her feet touched the sidewalk, Kallie knew she and May were finally safe. Feeling as though she had just reached the end of a triathlon, physically and emotionally, she collapsed back down on her knees, panting heavily. She placed May back on the ground, her rescued cousin looking equally weary. Kallie did not let go of her, though, and instantly embraced her again.

"I thought I would never see you again," she murmured breathlessly, feeling as though she were on the verge of tears. "You're… really back."

* * *

Loz's motorbike and Dual Hound had been destroyed. Yazoo had been left with half of the Velvet Nightmare after it had been cleaved in two by Brother. The latter had just zoomed by on his motorbike, victorious over Loz and Yazoo as the two came skidding to a halt on the only vehicle they had left. They were barely out of breath despite the intensity of the previous struggles that had been taking place during the chase on the highway, but watched with vexation as Brother left them in the dust. Glaring back down at what was left of the firearm, Yazoo then tossed the still smoking weapon over his shoulder.

Revving the motorbike as Loz crouched behind him, Yazoo zoomed on in Brother's wake. Yazoo could see him, though he was ahead by what seemed like miles. He stepped on the gas, accelerating the bike to as fast as it would go, pushing for every bit of speed available in order to catch up to Brother. They rocketed out of the tunnel, out into bright sunlight that blinded him momentarily. But in those few crucial seconds, he had failed to see the Turks and their trap stationed outside. By the time his eyes had adjusted to the brightness, they had widened in surprise.

It was too late to prevent them from driving straight into disaster.

* * *

Back in the friendly, familiar environment of their apartment, Kallie thought things could finally return to normal. The clouds had finally dispersed, the sun was shining again, the monsters were apparently gone and, most importantly, May was back. Yet, just when they thought they were safe, like they could let their guard down, their sense of security was undermined. Sure, anyone might feel at least remotely safe within the walls of their home, but as Kallie, May, and Mrs. Eliot watched the weather outside darken once more, the three felt anything but.

To make things worse, May's Geostigma was as bad as ever, if not worse. Mrs. Eliot was doing her best to tend to the girl's stigma and console her as May trembled in fear and pain. But Kallie, in spite of her own growing apprehension, was captivated in awe and fascination by the sight outside.

Outside, the clouds had returned and began to come alive, twisting into blackened, vinelike shapes that encircled the city as if to strangle it, accompanied by flashes of lightning. An ominous, unnatural darkness had fallen, and Kallie could barely discern the sun through the gray-green haze. The only thing she had ever witnessed that could compare with this was Meteor, and just like Meteor, its comprehension was beyond the ordinary laws of nature. Perhaps it was that that had Kallie rooted to the spot in front of the window.

"Kallie, please, come away from the window," Mrs. Eliot warned her earnestly, rubbing May's shoulder comfortingly. "Whatever's out there could be dangerous."

"I know…" she murmured, though she was still unable to pull her eyes away until May gave an even greater cry of pain, and she hastened then to her cousin's side. Even as she joined Mrs. Eliot in tending to her, however, she couldn't stop trying to wind her mind around whatever was brewing outside.

Mrs. Eliot and Kallie's efforts to reassure May did make the young girl feel better, but the situation was still torment for her. Her Geostigma had never hurt this bad before, not even in comparison to yesterday, and something told her it had to do with whatever those clouds were outside. Something was going to happen—she could feel it. With her legs curled up against her and Mog held tightly to her chest, May knew there was nothing more any one of them could do.

_But please… let this end soon…_ the young girl prayed.

* * *

Kadaj had never felt this weak before. This beaten. This defeated. And he thought he never would. He wasn't quite sure of what had happened to him. He didn't remember anything after he had absorbed Mother's cells. But whatever had happened to him, it was Brother's fault. There was Brother standing before him, poised with his sword in hand. He looked weary and battle-beaten, covered in bloody wounds, but ready for more fighting if it came. Unlike Kadaj, who was on the brink of death.

With the very last of his strength, Kadaj lifted himself off his knees where he had fallen and charged at Brother. But he could not get far. He swung his sword in vain before what little strength he had vanished, and he crumpled. Souba fell from his hand, clattering to the ground as he gasped for breath. However, he hadn't entirely hit the ground when something caught him around the shoulders, supporting him. It couldn't be…

"Bro…ther…" He could barely breathe…

Kadaj saw bright, azure eyes staring back at him, unable to discern the emotion he could see in them. What was Brother waiting for? He was vulnerable. Weak. Helpless. Why didn't Brother just take his life now?

**Kadaj?**

"Huh?"

A single drop of water hit his cheek, then other parts of his body. Though the sun was still shining, it was starting to rain. As more and more raindrops fell around him, he tried to look to where the voice was coming from, but a bright, white light was consuming his vision. He couldn't see.

**You don't have to hang on any longer.**

Who… was that? That voice… could it be?

Through the blinding light, Kadaj could see something. It was a hand… a face… belonging to… a woman? Was that… _her?_

His hand clenched beside him, unable to believe his eyes. "Mother? Is that…?"

**Everyone's waiting, if you're ready.**

It… _had_ to be her…

Whatever willed him, whatever gave him that tiny bit of energy, with a faint, weak smile he was able to lift his arm, reaching towards the hand that was extended towards him. Kadaj gasped a little, one last breath, before the woman's hand took his and pulled him from Brother's arms. He would never know the single tear he had let loose.

And once again, everything was lost in the white light.

**(BREAK HERE.)**

"I think it's over!"

"What?"

Both May and Mrs. Eliot looked over their shoulders after exclaiming the same exact thing in response to Kallie's announcement, and May stood up from the couch. Kallie was fumbling with the lock on the door, pulling aside the sliding door as May reached her side. The two walked out, shortly joined by Mrs. Eliot as they looked all around. The late afternoon sun was shining down again on Edge, and while the sky was still mostly hidden by clouds that were slowly turning gold, the weather was indeed much more hospitable. It was almost as though the bizarre storm had never happened.

"It is over…" Kallie said, breathing in the cool air. Beside her, Mrs. Eliot also gave a sigh, muttering an expression of gratitude.

While Kallie stretched, May had gone to the railing of the fire escape and peered over the metal bars, trying to spot a couple of her closest friends that lived close by. Just like the Bradfords and Mrs. Eliot, people were emerging from their homes and other various places where they had taken shelter from the storm, though May couldn't see her friends among them.

"What's up, May?" queried Kallie, seeing May looking around in all directions as though trying to see something.

"Can I see if Colin and Lucie are around?" May asked, turning to look back at her cousin.

"But you were just hurting from Geostigma a little while ago," Mrs. Eliot spoke up concernedly. "Do you feel well already?"

May nodded. "I really wanna see them."

"All right," Kallie consented. "Go ahead. But I'm coming too, okay? I don't want anything more happening to you."

May bobbed her head again, then instantly hurried down the iron stairwell without even waiting for Kallie to follow. Kallie didn't feel anxious about her going first, though; it was improbable that she could be kidnapped again so soon. Even though it was a quite a few levels down to the ground, she would soon meet up with her anyways. Kallie exhaled loudly yet again, out of happiness that May was back.

"Are you all right?" she said to Mrs. Eliot, who had fallen into silence, bearing a rather pensive expression.

"Yes, I am," she replied, smiling. The woman gestured at the stairwell. "You'd better hurry up, or May will leave you in the dust."

Kallie chuckled. "Of course. Hopefully we won't be gone long." Giving a casual wave of her hand, she proceeded down the stairwell after May. Her cousin was already ahead of her by a few flights, which further surprised Kallie that she was so mobile despite all she had just gone through. She had her father's resilience, no doubt about that.

As it turned out, May did end up beating her cousin in reaching the bottom of the stairwell, who didn't seem to be in any hurry. Maybe she was finally taking the opportunity to have a breather. Knowing Kallie would figure where she had gone, May went on ahead and rounded the corner of the building where there was a side street, and where a bunch of people were scattered around the sidewalks. Just when she had stepped out of the alleyway, she felt a drop of water hit the tip of her nose.

Stopping abruptly, May rubbed her nose where the water drop had struck, getting rid of the itch it caused. When more drops started to hit other parts of her body, May looked up curiously, as did the many other people around her. To her surprise, she saw it was actually raining, even though the sun was still shining amid the clouds. As May continued to watch, enticed by the sight, the rain fell more and more heavily. Wasn't this what they called a sun shower?

_It's so pretty…_

May had only been standing there for less than a minute, when, all of a sudden, she heard a soft exclamation beside her. Glancing to her right, she saw a very young, dark-haired boy standing nearby, though the first thing that met her hazel eyes was what made her jaw drop.

When she had just briefly noticed that he had Geostigma, May had only seen the blackened scars for a moment before they were literally washed away by the rain, turning into green sparkles of light that floated into the air and dissipated. But as he looked with the utmost joy at his now cured skin, May felt a strange—yet uplifting—sensation where her own scars were. And sure enough, just like the boy's, her Geostigma turned into those sparkles of green light before vanishing.

Unbelieving, astounded, May felt along her arm where the blackened scars had once been. Instead of the rough disfigurement she had grown so used to over the past two months, she felt smooth, unblemished skin, just as it was supposed to be. With gleeful laughter, she rushed out into the middle of the street, staring back up into the heavens, letting it continue to empty the rain upon her.

This rain had cured her—she knew it had!

In the meantime, Kallie had just descended the last level of the stairwell when she saw May disappear around the corner. Although she didn't want to lose sight of her even for a moment, just like May she was stopped when a raindrop unexpectedly struck her hand. Pausing, Kallie was amazed to see the rain that was falling in the midst of the sunshine. She didn't think she had ever seen a sun shower herself. This day certainly wasn't short of extraordinary occurrences.

"Huh… weird…"

After admiring the rain for a moment, Kallie started to jog to where she had seen her cousin go. But amid the footfall of her boots and the pattering of the rain, she began to hear laughter and joyful cries coming from the side street that May had disappeared to. Puzzled, Kallie quickened her pace, and was soon out on the street at the source of the euphoria. Again she stopped, surprised and bewildered, when she saw the people milling about in joy, with May out in the middle of the street.

"May!"

May whipped around, wearing the happiest expression that Kallie hadn't seen in the longest time. With a shout, she ran full throttle at Kallie and did a tackling embrace that nearly bowled over her cousin.

"Kallie! I'm better! I'm all better now!" May was shouting, tightly hugging Kallie. "The rain healed me!"

"May, what—?"

But when she had inadvertently brushed May's once infected arm, trying to pull her off, she stopped. She couldn't feel the callous scars.

"May, your…"

And, infected with the euphoria in the air, Kallie gave a loud, joyful whoop. Embracing her cousin in an equally tight hug, she lifted May into the air, swinging the young girl about.

There was nothing that could describe how she felt now her deepest wish had finally come true. She had lost all hope that May would ever be rid of her Geostigma. First losing May, then encountering all those monsters, finding her in the trancelike state, and returning home only to have an uncanny storm raging outside… now, her Geostigma—_cured_. It was like a sappy, happy ending to some crazy movie. Yet, in all honesty, Kallie was beyond glad it had ended this way, for it was more than she could have ever asked for.

How little did she know that her story was only about to begin.

* * *

While the rain had proven to be a miracle for those plagued by Geostigma, it was being quite the opposite for Loz and Yazoo.

"We'll go… together…" Yazoo just managed to gasp.

The effort of just merely holding his arm in place, in aiming and firing at Brother, had spent the little strength Yazoo had left in him—even just holding the Velvet Nightmare was depleting him of energy. His arm dropping back down at his side, the gun slipped from his fingers and hit the ground with a metallic clatter. Gasping, Yazoo swayed on the spot, struggling to stay upright. The materia in his arm were all glowing brightly, working overtime to try and keep him standing, while black mist rose like vapor from his body.

"Together… we'll play…" he heard Loz say weakly from beside him. Even the burly man had been brought down on one knee, similar black mist rising from him as well. Who knew rain could be so damaging?

But at least Brother wasn't having any easier of a time, thanks to the bullet that had been fired straight through him. It was easily evident the battle that had raged between him and Sephiroth had spent all of his strength as well, and Yazoo was glad he had already been left so weak. They had seen him defeat Sephiroth. They had seen Kadaj die. If this was to be their ending, if this was to be their fate, then Loz and Yazoo were taking Brother down with them.

As Loz rose back to his feet, Brother did the same. They could hear him gasping for air, taking a readier grip on the huge sword he still held. Then, Brother suddenly wheeled around, his face clenched in a snarl as he charged straight at him, the tip of his blade dragging along the ground. Simultaneously, Loz and Yazoo tapped into every materia that they had embedded in themselves, and a flaming myriad of colors flared to life around them. Brother leapt up into the air, raising his sword above his head with a battle cry. Just as he prepared to bring the blade down upon them, the two brothers cried out too as they let loose their attack.

What resulted was the last thing either of them had expected: for the second time in half an hour, they were completely engulfed by intense fire and heat. Neither were sure of what happened, whether it had blasted them several hundred feet away, or nowhere at all. They were blinded, momentarily or permanently it couldn't be determined. All they knew was the pain, and the bright white light that replaced their vision.

And then neither knew no more.


	3. Encounter

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 3**

_Encounter_

What Kallie had thought would be one of the worst days of her life had actually turned out to be one of the better. In celebration of May's Geostigma being healed, the Bradfords decided to do what they hadn't done in months and go someplace to eat. Although Mrs. Eliot couldn't go because she had to check up on some friends to ensure they were okay, Rika ended up joining them instead, having had called just before they were about to leave, and got a few other friends from work to come along as well. Conversation was mostly situated around the 'incident', and the others were amazed to find out that Mrs. Eliot and the Bradford cousins had been in the middle of it all, though none of them relished in retelling their story.

When dinner was finished and goodbyes had been said, May and Kallie returned to their apartment at around nine o'clock. By that time, Kallie had found out just how exhausting the day had been for her, and she could not wait to crawl into bed. May was understandably even more tired, nearly having fallen asleep on the way home. But as weary as she was, only one disrupted bedtime habit would keep her from resting.

"Kallie?"

"Yeah?" Kallie turned around to see May clad in her favorite pajamas. She had just been on the way to the bathroom, yearning for a much-needed shower. "What's up, May?"

May didn't need to express what was wrong in words. She merely held out Mog to her, and Kallie saw what the problem was—a tear in the seam on Mog's left side.

"Poor Mog." Taking Mog from her cousin, she examined the rip more closely. "Looks like he's been through a lot too. Did you just find this?"

May nodded, then asked, in a positively sweet, innocent voice, "Kallie… can you fix him tonight?"

"Tonight?" Kallie repeated wearily, looking back at her cousin, then back at Mog's rip. She really was tired, and wanted nothing more than to shower in order to get rid of all the grime before turning in. Pinching together the fabric while she figured out the repair, she came up with a temporary solution.

"Here… why don't we pin this together with a safety pin, and I'll fix him in the morning?" She smiled down at May's pleading expression. "I'm really tired right now, and I could make a mistake. We don't want that now, eh?"

The young girl considered it for a moment, then suddenly bobbed her head again with a smile and dashed toward the drawer in the kitchen where various necessities were kept. "I can do it!"

"May, keep your voice down," Kallie chuckled, following her cousin as she rifled through the drawer in search of a safety pin. Once she had helped May pin it in a strategic way so the stuffing wouldn't be likely to come out, she tucked May in and bade good night. After an especially tight hug and sweet kiss upon her brow, Kallie turned out the light before leaving to take her long-awaited shower.

As always, a long, hot shower was the ideal remedy to conclude a long, exhausting day. The hot water eased away the soreness Kallie felt, and it was also this way that Kallie found out the multitude of other minor injuries she had sustained. Feeling the scab—one of the more prominent wounds—that had formed on her temple, Kallie had to marvel how fortunate she was in surviving with only a few cuts and bruises.

_I came **that** close to being killed…_

It had been the first time that evening that Kallie had some time by herself to think back more on today's events, and had to wonder whether or not that had really all happened. Had a gigantic, dragon-like monster really destroyed the monument? Had she almost been killed by that other creature, and then rescued by yet another creature? And then… had May really been cured of Geostigma? Was her cousin really no longer going to die because of some damn disease?

Yet, as she remembered the trancelike state May and all the children had been in, those freakish green, feline eyes, Kallie's amazement became clouded with anger and indignity. She remembered the two individuals that she had seen standing at the base of the monument, that they had to be the perpetrators of May's condition, and it made her want to pound the shower's tile wall with a fist.

_Those creeps had __**nerve**__, doing that to all those kids!_ Kallie didn't think she'd ever encounter anyone like that, or even learn of people with demented minds like theirs that actually existed. They didn't care if innocent civilians got hurt, and Kallie was sure they were behind the creatures and the dragon too.

It then led her to wonder whether or not they had been punished for their crime yet, and if they were still alive and at large. Perhaps tomorrow's newspaper would cover that; surely what they had done would be enough to land them on the front page. Maybe she could finally get some answers then.

Her shower done, leaving her feeling much more relaxed and refreshed, Kallie dressed and brushed her teeth before tiptoeing to her bottom bunk and, at long last, slipped into bed. As she adjusted the blankets over herself, Kallie wondered when it would be best to approach her cousin about the kidnapping. She wanted to ask her before she could forget, and so May could finally get it over with.

_As soon as she recovers, I'll ask her about it, Kallie decided_. Too drowsy to think anymore, only grateful that tomorrow would be Saturday when she didn't have to work, Kallie rolled over onto her side and quickly slipped into a much needed sleep.

* * *

It was… pain… absolute pain…

That was the one continual thought that ran through Yazoo's mind as he lay there, motionless, in agony. He had never imagined he'd feel so much pain. He had always believed that Mother would protect him and his brothers from injury as mortal and severe as this. Kadaj said that had been what Mother promised, yet… that had been before Sephiroth's defeat. Now… he didn't know what had become of Mother. Or Loz. Or Brother.

_It… wasn't supposed to be this way…_ Yazoo had never believed he would have to experience despair. Defeat. He had so confident in their mission, so reassured that they would succeed, that they would be able to restore Mother to her former glory… And now, this was how it was all going to end.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Yazoo hovered on the brink, unknowing of how long he had been blacked out. In between the fading in and out of his vision, he had been able to discern that the rain had finally stopped, and dusk had come. He tried to move, to at least turn his head to see where he and Loz had ended up, but he could barely twitch a muscle. The explosion, the burning rain, the overuse of magic—it had ended up to be too much.

_So… this was our fate… after all…_

For what felt like hours and hours on end, Yazoo merely lay there, suffering, while the growing night's cold descended. With nothing to heal him or numb the pain, it seemed his death was to be bitter, slow, and torturous. If only the explosion had claimed him quicker, then there would be no delay in seeing Kadaj and Loz again, in finally being with Mother, in finding the Promised Land…

But, Yazoo sluggishly became aware of something—or someone—close by, approaching him. His sight was blurred, and it was only when he sensed it stop at his side that he realized it was a person: he could just barely make out their silhouette. Whoever it was said something, though the words were so faint—or he had simply gone deaf—he couldn't hear them. All the while, he was beginning to feel himself slowly slip away, a cold and yet comforting darkness beckoning him away from this pain. It was at that point he simply didn't care for anything anymore, anything at all, least of all for what this person would do. So what if it was the end of everything? That at least meant the end of this endless torture.

_Just to be with Mother again… That's all…_

And then the darkness claimed him as its own.

* * *

For May, waking the next morning felt strange and surreal, given the fact that she still couldn't believe yesterday's events had happened. But, after feeling her smooth arms, finally rid of the rough, callous stigma, May knew it couldn't have all been just a dream. She grinned happily, giggling, before climbing out of bed and dressing, then went off to fix breakfast for herself, since Kallie was still fast asleep.

Just as she was finishing up her bowl of cereal, though, loud rapping suddenly sounded on the apartment's front door, causing May to jump in her seat at the table. Jumping to her feet, racing towards the door and promptly opening it up, her face lit up into a broad grin at seeing her two friends standing outside in the hallway.

"Colin! Lucie!" she happily exclaimed, throwing her arms around the pair. "You won't believe what happened to me!"

"May!" Colin cried, startled along with Lucie at May's excitement, both trying to free themselves from May's grip. "May! What happened?"

May couldn't wait to tell her friends about yesterday—but only about the healing rain, that was. Even as she excitedly related how she had been cured, she purposely left out the huge chunk that involved the silver-haired trio. Just thinking back on what they had done sent shivers up her spine, and gave her an urge to shrink away. At finishing her story, she fervently hoped that Colin and Lucie wouldn't mention anything to touch upon that subject, for they probably knew about the other kids with Geostigma who had also been kidnapped.

"That's great, May!" Lucie exclaimed, after more hugs had been exchanged in celebration. "It's finally gone!"

"We heard that everyone with the stigma got healed," Colin added. "We were wondering if you did too. That's why we came."

"But guess what else?" Lucie chirped, and May blinked curiously. "They say that the flower girl's back!"

"The… flower girl?" echoed May, wonderingly. That name sounded familiar…

"C'mon!" Lucie tugged on May's wrist. "They say she's heading to that old church, and she wants us to follow her! Let's go see her!"

May, however, broke free of her friend's grasp. "W-wait! I… I gotta ask Kallie first."

Before Lucie could stop her, May dashed back through the kitchen and into the bedroom. Leaning over her snoozing cousin, she spoke loudly into her ear. "Kallie, Kallie! Sleepyhead, wake up!"

Yet, as she expected, Kallie merely groaned in response and buried her head more into her pillow. Since this wasn't unusual whenever she tried to rouse her cousin, May rolled her eyes in exasperation, then grabbed Kallie's shoulder and shook her hard, calling out her name again. It took several tries, but finally her cousin grunted, then stirred.

"What?" mumbled Kallie thickly, propping herself up slightly on one elbow and peering blearily at May. "What's up, May?"

"Can I go with Colin and Lucie?"

Kallie stared sleepily off someplace over May's shoulder, apparently absorbing the request, then flopped back down on the pillow and pulled the covers back around her. It looked like she was going to fall back asleep, leaving May's question unanswered. May sighed again loudly.

"Well, can I please?" she repeated, folding her arms impatiently.

"…Yes," came the muffled reply, and May beamed with joy.

"Can you go with us, please?"

Kallie groaned. "So… so tired, May." She started to turn on her other side, her back facing May. "Find someone else to go…"

"Kallie!" But as her soft snoring began again, May knew she had indeed gone back to sleep. "Stupid sleepyhead," muttered May darkly.

"So, what'd she say?" Colin asked after May had returned, now accompanied by Mog. The poor doll still had the rip in its side, only held together with the safety pin.

"I can go," May told them. "But she won't go with us."

"Pfft, we don't need anybody to look after us!" Lucie grabbed both May and Colin by the arm and began to tug them in the direction of the stairwell. "Let's get to the church already!"

* * *

It was so painful. So, _so_ painful.

Of all the things Loz could wish for now, it was death—the only thing that could possibly put him out of his misery. He had never imagined he would ever be in such pain. He couldn't even believe it was possible for anyone to be in so much pain and still be alive, but here he was, suffering that very fate. And he just wanted it to end.

The overuse of materia, the explosion, the rain… he didn't think it could possibly hurt him this much. How could he and Yazoo have possibly chosen this as their fate, their way to go? It was far too painful, far too slow! He should be crying now, but he couldn't even feel that amidst all the pain.

Where was Yazoo? Where was Kadaj? Where was Mother now, the one who had promised they would never be in any pain at all? But… when he had said before she would decide what was best… had she not chosen them? Had she not chosen him? Was that why she was leaving them to die like this? That despair, along with the agony, was the last thing he needed.

_Why, Mother…? _Loz had to be crying now. _How… could you…?_

Before he unknowingly slipped into unconsciousness again, falling back into darkness, Mother was the last thing on his mind. He would never be aware that, just like Yazoo, the same ambiguous figure had come to him as well.

* * *

For once, it was so nice for Kallie to be able to sleep in, and not be awakened by the shrilling of her alarm. Sitting up, she stretched and yawned. As she ran her fingers through her hair to rid it of a snarl, she glanced over at the clock and saw it was close to noon. However, she had completely forgotten that May had awoken her earlier, and that her cousin had left. She saw her bunk was empty, but May was always up by this time, and therefore she didn't suspect anything was out of place.

"Hey, May," Kallie called out, more cheerfully than she had in many months as she walked into the kitchen. "How are you—?"

But she stopped abruptly, for May was nowhere to be seen in the apartment. From the doorway of the bedroom she had a pretty good view of basically the majority of the apartment, as it wasn't all that big. At first, Kallie got a grip on herself, mainly in denial that May could go missing twice in three days. Yet, it was only after checking the rest of the apartment did the panic she thought she would never have to feel again surface once more.

"Dammit, no, this can't be happening, not again…"

Although she tried not to let her anxiety get to her, she sunk into a chair at the table and buried her face in her hands. Yet, miraculously, thankfully, a familiar knock sounded on the front door, and a muffled voice called inside:

"Kallie?"

Standing up so fast she knocked her chair over, Kallie darted to the door and opened it in a hurry. At seeing her cousin standing outside, Kallie gave a cry of relief and flung her arms around May.

"_May!_ You're okay!" she cried, squeezing the girl in a tight, nearly bone-crushing embrace, barely noticing May's damp clothes. "I thought you'd disappeared again!"

"Can't… breathe…"

Realizing she was probably gripping her cousin a little too hard, Kallie lessened her grasp and held May at arm's reach.

"You really thought so?" May asked, and Kallie nodded.

"How was I supposed to know you were gone?" Kallie pulled May inside and shut the door. "You didn't tell me you were going!"

"Yeah I did!" May defended herself, folding her arms. "I woke you up, and when I asked you, you let me!"

"I… did?"

Raising her eyebrows, May nodded slowly. "You probably forgot, sleepyhead."

Pouting childishly, Kallie then pulled May over to the couch, where she made her sit down. "All right then, you troublemaker." Taking the opposite side of the couch, she folded her legs beneath her. "Tell me where you went. And…" She had just remembered how wet May's clothes still were, and scrutinized May more suspiciously. "You're _soaked_. What in the world were you doing?"

May beamed rather mischievously, then likewise drew her legs up and, out of habit, made to hold Mog more comfortably against her.

It was then she realized he wasn't with her.

"Oh!" May cried, clapping her hand to her mouth. "Mog!"

The outcry startled Kallie. "Mog? What about him?"

"I…" She gulped. "Left him back at the church!"

"The church…?" Although nothing popped to mind immediately, it still rang a bell somewhere. "What church?"

"The one I went to today with Colin and Lucie," she explained, her gaze falling guiltily to the floor. "Don't you remember, Kallie, that old church in Sector 5's slums?"

"Sector 5? You mean—" Suddenly, Kallie straightened up. "You mean in _Midgar_?"

May nodded, then sighed in dismay and slumped against the cushion. "I didn't think… I'd forget him there."

Kallie too sighed, looking off towards the window as May wrapped her arms around her knees drearily. The older cousin noted that it wasn't too far into the day yet, but going to the ruins of Midgar on foot was no stroll in the park. To walk there, find Mog in this church, then return home would take a while, and she wasn't exactly keen on taking a hike on one of her days off. She weighed her options for a second, and just as quickly made up her mind.

"Okay, then!" declared Kallie avidly, leaping to her feet. "The day's still young, and we can get back by mid-afternoon."

"What…?"

"We're going to rescue Mog. Why, who knows what could happen to him if we leave him there overnight?"

Joyous at the offer, May rose from the couch, while Kallie had gone back into the bedroom to get changed into street clothing. "I know you just came back, May, but could you come with me? I don't know the way. Change your clothes before we go, though. Oh, and you _still_ owe me an explanation."

Though she had been taken aback before by Kallie's offer, May bobbed her head with a smile and gave a cheer. Understandably, after having walked for a total of two hours, May was indeed tired. But for a doll that had as much sentimental value as Mog did, such a trip was well worth it.

* * *

When Yazoo had regained consciousness again, he was just as dazed and confused as before, unable to really tell whether or not he had died. As fogged as the interior of his head felt, however, he could tell that that certainly couldn't be the case. For one, he could still feel pain all over his body. Unless death wasn't painless after all, he had to be alive. If that was a good or bad thing, Yazoo wasn't quite sure. But, there was at least one thing that was affirmative:

He could finally move.

True, he couldn't move much at all at this point. Though he still felt content to simply lie there and recover, it eased him to know that mobilization was once more possible for him. Yazoo wasn't sure if it was a sign that he would fully recover, but already he didn't hurt as much as he had before.

Now that his vision was starting to return, he was bewildered to note that, instead of being on top of the Shinra building, he now lay in some other part of Midgar. Regaining his sense of touch as well, he soon realized Velvet Nightmare was back in its holster too, even though he clearly remembered having dropped it; it was then that he recalled the unknown person who had come to him before he had blacked out. He didn't know whether it was the explosion or the person who had carried him to this location.

_What could they have wanted with me?_ It could not have been just some random passer-by; there was no way anyone could simply idly stumble across him in these desolate ruins. The only way anyone would be able to find him here was if they already knew he was here, and a possibility did reside in that. The President's peons, Brother's companions… it was entirely likely one of them had been that person.

Yet no sooner had he deduced that out than did another question arise: why? Why had they bothered if not to kill him? Surely that would have been the only thing they would have sought him out for. But, he was still alive. It made no sense at all. Or… perhaps he had only hallucinated. Perhaps, in his utter delirium from the pain, that person had all been a part of his imagination. He didn't want to think about it anymore—just trying to figure out this mystery wore out what little strength he had regained. Despite the lingering pain, a fatigue claimed him that, instead of sending him into another torpor, made him doze off.

* * *

It had only taken five minutes for Kallie and May to get ready before leaving to return to Midgar. Although Kallie had worried about the time it would take to leave Edge, they actually had entered the very outskirts within a quarter of an hour, thanks to a shortcut May had been shown by her friends. This detour went through dingy back streets and alleys Kallie had never known existed, leading right to a boundary only marked by a chain link fence. An aluminum sign hung there, bearing the familiar warning: "Do Not Enter. Authorized W.R.O. Personnel Only. Extremely Dangerous." However, it was clear that few paid attention to the warning, as somebody had made a sizable hole in the fence, and it was here that the two cousins squeezed through into Midgar.

"It's really been two years…" murmured Kallie quietly, more to herself than to May.

"Huh?"

"Ah, nothing."

But as May continued on ahead, Kallie lingered behind, glancing around at what had become of the former city, then quickened her steps to catch up with her cousin. Nostalgia had come over her the moment she had entered what had once been her home here in Sector 4, where Edge was connected with Midgar, even though the upper plate where she had lived was completely gone.

After having retreated to the slums in Midgar, the Bradfords were heartbroken to return to find nothing left of their home in Meteor's wake. They could have moved elsewhere, but Uncle had wanted to stay and help when word came out about revival plans for Midgar. Still deeply depressed by their loss, Kallie and May hadn't been too keen about the idea, though in the end they finally agreed to make Edge their new home. Besides, although Uncle had only vaguely implied it, it was also so Mom would be able to find them again.

They continued on in silence, the only sounds their footfalls on the earthen ground and the occasional clink of metal or stone whenever their feet struck something. Those were the only things they had heard, and the uncanny quiet otherwise was beginning to make both girls uneasy. Maybe it was because it had been forever since they had been away from the bustle of the city, and they had known quiet like this.

Finally, Kallie had to ask May.

"Hey, May…"

"Yeah?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you." May looked up at Kallie inquisitively. "I've just been wondering… what happened to you when you were kidnapped."

Just as Kallie had expected, a look of fear came over May's face, and her eyes widened, obviously recalling what had been done to her. As May looked away, stopping in her tracks, Kallie knew she probably hadn't approached this in the correct manner. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, as had her impatience to learn what those creeps had done to her cousin.

"It's okay, May… You don't have to tell me now."

"No…" She shook her head, though she still looked frightened. "I—I'll tell."

Kallie smiled. "Thank you, May."

"Well… Geostigma was hurting me when he came."

"'He'?" repeated Kallie curiously, starting to walk again, and May followed suit.

"One of those guys that had silver hair. He told me to go to this truck where other kids with the stigma were too. I met this boy named Denzel, and I brought him with me because he had it too."

_So, the truck full of kids that Wayne saw really was a valid clue after all._ "Did that guy take you and the other kids away in the truck?"

May nodded. "Yeah. He drove for a really long time."

"Where did he take you? Do you know?"

"No, he wouldn't tell us anything. But…" May's eyes suddenly became dreamy as if recalling something absolutely fantastical. "The place was really pretty. The trees were all glowing, and…" She trailed off, seemingly unsure of the proper description to do this place justice.

May's description of this place intrigued Kallie. "What happened there?"

"We stopped in this forest with all the pretty trees. He led us to this pool, and… his brothers were waiting on the other side."

A chill suddenly bolted down Kallie's spine. There had been _more_ of them?

But as May continued to relate the speech she had heard, Kallie still had to suppress even more shudders. With clear memory, she told her cousin about the brothers, about Mother, about Geostigma being a gift, and how the Planet was the true enemy. All the while, May seemed to grow more and more emotional.

"I don't know what he did…" May trembled, and she finally had to stop walking. "But the… the water… started turning all black."

"What?" Kallie had stopped too, frowning down at her in amazement. "He turned it _black_?"

"Yeah… He cupped some in his hands and drank it. We walked into the water too and drank it… and then…" Her voice choked. "And then…"

She simply could not go on with her story anymore; the tears came before she even realized she was starting to cry. An instant later, however, just as she broke down, Kallie had knelt at her cousin's side and put her arms comfortingly around her, hugging her close. As May sobbed into her shoulder, Kallie wondered if she should have approached this matter so soon, when May had only just begun to recover. But, she knew that these memories would live with May forever—and there was no way in hell Kallie was going to let her cousin bear those memories by herself.

Besides, Kallie wanted to know what those bastards had done. The fires of vengeance hadn't quite burned away inside of her yet.

"Thank you for being so brave, May… It must have been so hard to have to remember what happened to you." She rubbed her cousin's back in her attempts to console her. "But May… don't be afraid. They're gone now. They're not going to come back ever again."

May sniffled, pulling away slightly to look back up at Kallie with reddened eyes.

"You… really think so?"

"Of course! I'm sure they're gone." Smiling warmly then, she jabbed her thumb at her back. "Here, how 'bout a piggyback ride? We really ought to get going if we don't wanna leave Mog there overnight."

With another sniffle, May accepted with a dip of her head. At her cousin's invitation, she climbed onto Kallie's back, who promptly stood and heaved her up into a better position for her to carry May.

"Jeez, you've gotten heavy," teased Kallie, grinning back at May, although her weight really wasn't too much. "You're going to get too big for me to carry you anymore."

With a small amount of giggling that helped eased the tension, the pair set off again. When a few minutes passed without them speaking, May seemed to have recomposed herself already, though Kallie still heard another sniff or two as she buried her face into her back.

"I'm sorry I had to make you recall all of that," Kallie said, after an appropriate measure of silence. "But, I had to know. I had to know so I can beat the sh—ah, crud out of them next time I see them."

"But, couz… you said they were gone." Her voice quivered slightly again, though Kallie was sure she detected a laugh there.

"Don't worry." Kallie smirked. "I'll find some way to give them a piece of my mind. Like, maybe if I get to see them in the afterlife."

Yet as May giggled, Kallie could not help but turn her thoughts back to those silver-haired creeps, and she felt a twinge of anger. They had downright deceived May, promising a cure that May and so many other children had yearned for. And what they had ended up doing to them all… it was too horrible for words. It was too bad they really were gone; she truthfully wanted to make them pay for what they had done.

_Whatever happens… I'll make sure that they'll never hurt you again._

* * *

By this time, the sun was high above in the sky, its brilliance unhindered with the near absence of clouds. Other than the slightly muddy ground and the puddle here or there, all of the rain that had fallen yesterday had pretty nearly evaporated. But Yazoo barely took notice of the improved weather, for all he could care about right now was the fact that he had progressed from being barely able to move to actually getting onto his feet and walking. If he could call stumbling, limping, and almost constantly falling to his knees _walking_, that was.

Yazoo was still incredibly weak, but when he had realized he had the strength to stand, he hadn't hesitated a single second to get away from the spot. Though he had no concrete destination in mind, and he knew it would have been wiser to simply stay there, he couldn't remain in that place any longer. It wasn't easy-going in the slightest; every little muscle he moved sent excruciating pain coursing through him, and he had to carry on slowly. More than often he had to stop and rest, such as right now as he sat against a large piece of rubble.

Various gashes and burns were all over his body, and the worst pain was in his chest. With the way each breath was like a knife stabbing into his side, there was no question that he had broken at least one rib, probably more. Yet, what Yazoo was the most thankful for was the fact that, when such an explosion would obliterate any ordinary being, he was still in one piece. All he hoped this ensured was that his death was at least not on his agenda anytime soon.

* * *

"Hey, I _do_ remember this place…"

"See! I knew you'd remember!"

"C'mon, I haven't been here in years. Jeez, it's been demolished…"

Faint memories flooded back to Kallie as she stepped through the gaping frame where doors had once been. She couldn't recall exactly what the church had looked like before, but its condition back then had definitely been better than it was now. May, having slid off of Kallie's back, swept past her in a rush, heading straight towards one of the still-intact pews. A second later, she gave a squeal of joy, and Kallie knew only too clearly what that meant.

"You found Mog!" Kallie exclaimed, hurrying to May's side as the younger girl hugged the once-lost doll to herself, cuddling it lovingly. "What a relief. It would've sucked coming here and finding he wasn't here after all." She exhaled deeply. "Whew, that was a long trek. Let's rest here for a bit."

Slightly tired from having walked so far while carrying May, Kallie sat down in the pew directly behind the one where May had found Mog, on which May also took a seat. Her grip on the beloved stuffed toy barely lessened, and her satisfied expression strongly reminded Kallie of a contented cat. Smiling to herself, Kallie looked over the rest of the church, and noted the enormous pool of water.

"Hey… is that where that boy named Denzel was healed, like you told me?"

"Yup," May chirped, having had told Kallie beforehand the story of what had transpired here.

She lapsed into silence again, too distracted by Mog to owe much to a conversation. Kallie didn't mind, since she used the opportunity to examine the church some more, trying to recall what she could. The only definite thing was a girl much older than her, her hair up in a high, braided ponytail, always carrying a basket of flowers, which had been such a rarity in this once-polluted metropolis. Hadn't she been the one known to everyone as 'the flower girl'?

Stretching out after some time had passed, Kallie glanced outside and observed it was getting later in the day. It was best they be on their way now.

"Let's go home, May."

With one last look around the church, the two cousins left. Yet, they had only just gone down the front steps when Kallie heard a sort of clattering, like a foot kicking a stone. She barely paid attention to it, however, merely passing it off as a part of her imagination. That was, until she heard it again, audibly clear—and neither she nor May had caused it.

"Wait a sec," she commanded softly, placing a hand on May's shoulder. May stopped, glancing at Kallie curiously, but any questions she might have put forth were silenced as Kallie placed a finger to her lips. The two listened, and the clattering sounded again, only now she knew she hadn't imagined it—it had been accompanied by an unnatural, erratic screeching.

Kallie's heart rate quickened. Anyone could guess what that belonged to. There had been a good reason for that W.R.O. warning sign after all…

"_Shit!_" Not hesitating a second, she grabbed May by the arm and pulled her into an all-out run. "Let's get the hell outta here!"

* * *

During the same period of time that Kallie and May had been inside the church, Yazoo still rested against the huge chunk of concrete, where it felt like he had been for hours. Desperately, he wanted to try and keep searching for Loz, but another lapse in strength had come around. All he could do was sit there, deeply regretting that he hadn't equipped any Cure materia. How stupid of him not having considered something like this could happen.

Things weren't about to improve either.

Claimed by exhaustion, Yazoo had been about to slip into another stupor when he too heard the same screeches, cries that inevitably belonged to some monster. Even in his present condition, he, of course, wasn't scared or alarmed in the slightest, though hoped that whatever it was wouldn't come his way, as he wanted to conserve his energy and ammunition.

Straining his senses, he tried to pinpoint where this creature could be. The screech sounded again, and this time it was so suddenly close Yazoo flinched a bit. Out of habit at the prospect of a battle, his hand automatically went to his gun, even if the motion made him twinge in pain.

Then, he spotted it out of the corner of his eye: a Whole Eater, creeping on its spindly legs from behind another large piece of rubble some distance away. Its large, purple and brown body was scorpion-like in appearance, with a long, segmented tail that ended in a vicious sickle. Its head was nothing but a huge, gaping mouth encircled by pointed teeth, around which a multitude of yellowish eyes were set.

The Whole Eater hadn't noticed Yazoo sitting against the chunk of cement, ambling along without a sign that it was aware of him. But, it was just as Yazoo was about to relax that another screech sounded dangerously close by. Turning in the direction of the screech, he saw yet another Whole Eater—only a few yards away—that was staring directly at him. It clearly had him in its sights, for it flicked its sickle and made a beeline for him. Its companion, now alerted of Yazoo's presence, abruptly followed suit.

Yazoo never knew how he managed to even move in this battle. Somehow, he was able to get atop of the debris he had previously been leaning against, though every move came with a price, painfully doubling over with his broken rib. The Whole Eaters were merciless, easily climbing up to where he kneeled. Ignoring his protesting wounds, Yazoo swiftly drew Velvet Nightmare from its holster and swung it at the first Whole Eater.

Even with his dwindling strength, he knocked the monster away. It struck the ground and lay there, twitching until it perished. Yazoo had to thank his Deathblow materia for that; at least equipping that materia had been a good decision. But, against the second Whole Eater, he wasn't so lucky—he didn't have a chance to raise the gun before it pounced.

It attempted to push him off the chunk of rubble, and Yazoo felt its hot, repulsive breath on his face as he briefly grappled with it, trying to push it away. However, a lapse of strength suddenly striking again, Yazoo lost his footing and fell backwards. The fall wasn't very far, but with his wounds the impact hurt like hell. Yet as the Whole Eater screeched and sprung at him again, Yazoo managed to raise Velvet Nightmare, shakily aim, and pull the trigger.

The Whole Eater was rent into pieces as the bullet tore straight through its body, splattering its guts everywhere (unfortunately, including onto him). At the fetid smell of its entrails, Yazoo couldn't help but grimace as he tried to sit up, though had to collapse right back down from the excruciating pain. This time, he felt content just to lie there and recover, as inelegant as he was sure he looked right then. Given his present condition, there would be no room for grace anytime soon.

However, there was no allowance for any sort of recovery either; three other Whole Eaters were crawling out over other piles of rubble in the area. Whether they had heard or smelled him, or were attracted by the commotion, they knew Yazoo was here. He could see them scuttling toward him, and he knew there was no way he could avoid a fight.

This couldn't end well.

* * *

The very same went for Kallie and May as they raced away from the church, in the hopes of fleeing from whatever lurked nearby. But, their progress was cut short by two Whole Eaters that came out seemingly from nowhere, blocking their path, and the two cousins were forced to stop short. They abruptly whipped around and tried to escape in another direction, but were again barred by another Whole Eater.

"Dammit…" Kallie hissed, holding May protectively to herself as the creatures advanced, tails waving menacingly. Frantically glancing about for another escape route, her eyes landed on the wall of debris nearby. "This way!"

May gave a startled cry as Kallie suddenly yanked her toward the wall of debris, and then gave her a push, indicating her to run ahead. As May scrambled up the side of the debris, Kallie grabbed a thin pipe she had noticed sticking out amidst the rubble, as if it was just waiting for her to use it. Tugging the long, rusted piece of metal out, she swung it at the Whole Eaters, and felt a rush of triumph as she actually struck one of them. However, it only seemed to aggravate them more. As they scurried towards her with an intensified vigor, Kallie cursed and dashed off after May.

* * *

For Yazoo, the situation was growing steadily worse and worse. Just killing two of them seemed to tax him to the limit, and yet still more of the Whole Eaters were crawling out from amid the ruins. How much more of this could he take? It wasn't much, that was for sure, and as the newcomers scuttled at him, Yazoo actually felt the first pang of fear. So, this was how he was supposed to die: incapacitated and weak, slaughtered by a pathetic monster.

However, it was that melancholy thought that drove him to pick himself back up, determined not to be condemned to such a dismal fate. Praying that he had enough ammunition for all of this, Yazoo fired three consecutive shots, each aimed at each of the Whole Eaters, and each one struck its target head on. They all exploded into pieces at the impact, and Yazoo almost gagged from the putrid stench that ensued, this time so strong that not even his dire injuries could keep him here.

Mustering all the strength he could, he crawled far away from the wretched miasma, right into a wide, open area surrounded by walls of ruins, which looked like some sort of road. Resorting to dragging himself along like some worm made him feel so thoroughly undignified, and the only thing that consoled him was that no one would be here to see him like this.

Or, so he thought.

* * *

Having have had the Whole Eaters distracted by Kallie, May had taken the opportunity to gain as much ground as she could ahead of the monsters, actually managing to get back onto the main path. Although she tripped in her haste, Kallie blessedly pulled her back onto her feet before she could fall, and they continued their flight. But, the Whole Eaters were faster than Kallie had counted on. Simply running wasn't going to get them out of reach of these creeps—and Kallie knew she had no choice.

"Keep running, May!" screamed Kallie, again pushing May ahead for her to escape. "I'll take care of 'em!"

"But…" To Kallie's frustration, the young girl had stopped, reluctant to leave her cousin behind. This was no time for uncertainty.

"_Go_, damn it!"

Without any more hesitation, May obeyed Kallie's command and fled. Meanwhile, Kallie had wheeled around, facing her oncoming enemies. Fear gripped her, much like when she had faced that monster yesterday, and it was no wonder why as she stared into the gaping mouths that gave them their name. While they couldn't eat anything large, only able to swallow their prey whole, they were known to lacerate even adult humans into ribbons. Not allowing that knowledge to faze her, Kallie held her ground.

"Come and get me, you bastards," she challenged, readying her grip on the pipe. At least she wasn't unarmed this time.

* * *

_No, don't tell me…_

Yazoo stared, disbelieving, up the road where he had heard the cries—cries that undeniably belonged to a human, and a female at that. The screeches of more Whole Eaters were also coming from that direction; in fact, from the level of distress in the person's voice, most likely they were involved in some struggle with the same monsters, though their plight barely concerned him. He simply couldn't believe that anyone would bother to come here, to Midgar, this decimated ghost town, out of all places.

_She had better be killed. _His predicament was worse enough without him being discovered like this. But, at the sound of footsteps pounding towards him, his heart sunk like a stone.

* * *

It was May's last desire to leave Kallie behind. It was the last thing she would have done. It felt so selfish. She had been left with no choice, though. The moment she had taken to her heels, May did not stop running, even when it felt as though she barely had any energy left in her. But finally, she did, though that was only when she had gone far from the battlefield. She dropped to her knees, heaving breath after breath, and listening, horrified, to the distant shouts and screeches as Kallie fought the Whole Eaters.

"Kallie…" Her fear for her cousin was so great that she began to cry. Not even Mog could comfort her.

Then, without warning, May jumped, gasping, as the firing of bullets cut through the tense air. One, two, three of them, all in a row, and each were followed by a dying screech. It hadn't sounded from far away either. The trail of tears on her cheeks was forgotten as she stared off in the direction where it sounded like they had come from, the only thought on her desperate mind being of someone who could help them.

May had barely recovered her breath, but it didn't hinder her as she took to her feet again, this time dashing in the direction of the gunshots, towards this possible savior. She wanted to call out to this person, to alert them of her situation, but simply didn't have the breath, every strand of hope she had relying on this one being.

May rounded a corner in the road, and then stopped dead in her tracks.

Time itself froze. She was frozen to the spot like a stone, staring at the sight before her own eyes. The sight lying, wounded, impaired, off to the side of the road, a mere few yards away. The sight that she had prayed with every fiber of her being she would never see again: the sight of the silver-haired man who had deceived her. She saw him move, lifting his head until cold, emerald eyes met her petrified stare.

Then, the frozen moment passed, and she screamed.

* * *

_Holy shit… did I just…?_

Kallie stood stock-still, stunned, as she stared at the twitching body of the Whole Eater she had just beaten down. She had been so involved in the fight, of keeping all three at bay, she didn't even hear the gunshots. Even so, it wasn't without repercussion. Every muscle in her already weary body ached, her lungs burned with exhaustion. Her grip on the pipe was slippery with sweat, and her bangs clung unpleasantly to her face.

But she didn't have any time to worry about that sort of crap—Kallie still had two Whole Eaters to go. They circled her, chattering menacingly, multiple eyes fixed upon her as they lashed out at her. Wearily, Kallie did her best to block their attack, but her legs shook as she tried to dodge them, and with just the plain effort of keeping her standing. Given her remaining strength, Kallie knew there was little chance of her lasting.

At least they couldn't say she didn't go down without a fight.

All of a sudden, just as Kallie was about to jab the pipe at them again, she heard May scream. The scream rendered Kallie petrified on the spot, and she stared off in the direction she had heard the scream. It was almost too much for her beaten body to take.

_Oh, please, no…_

And, despite her nearly spent energy, she took off. She never glanced back once to see if her adversaries were behind her, so out of breath that she couldn't call out May's name. As she pounded down the path, she could only think that a Whole Eater or some other monster had claimed her cousin. After all her endeavors to save May, it would have been all in vain. How could she had been so _stupid_ to send her rushing off like that?

The thought almost put her in tears. _It'll be all my fault…_

Rounding the bend in the road, the first thing she saw was May, who had fallen into a seated position off to the side of the road.

"May!" Kallie was finally able to pant, relieved, about to run to her cousin's side. "May! Are you… okay…? What happened?"

Something awful clearly had occurred here, though, for May wore an expression of the utmost terror—a terrified face like Kallie had never seen her wear before. Her eyes were widened with fear, and her lips trembled as she tried to speak.

"K-Kallie," she stammered. "I-I-it's…"

Unable to form the words properly, May instead raised an arm free of Mog and pointed a shaking finger ahead of her. Kallie whipped about in the direction she indicated—

And her jaw dropped.

Yazoo had only hoped that there would be only one person here to know that he was like this. Not two. Worst yet, he recognized the first girl who had stumbled across him—she had been one of the many children with Geostigma he had approached in Edge. He had no idea who the second girl with the orange hair was, but from the way she called out the younger girl's name, she must be her caretaker. He also deduced from the gore-spattered pipe she held and her exhausted, sweat-streaked face that she must have been the one fighting the Whole Eaters back there.

But, even if she had been combating the monsters before, she seemed to have forgotten about them completely. It looked as though she had been Petrified she was so rooted to the spot, staring at him like she were seeing a ghost. She must have realized who he was, however, for the stare soon hardened into a glare, and anger and fury passed over her face.

In Kallie's case, she really thought she was seeing a ghost. She had actually believed that these silver-haired men were gone forever, even with her vows to deal them a piece of her mind. But as the shock passed, all the anger and resentment she had harbored inside was recalled again, and this time stronger than ever. Clenching the pipe tighter, she marched purposefully toward him, truly intending to hurt him now as much as possible.

Yet as hell-bent as she was, Kallie still had another responsibility to tend to, and that happened to be the Whole Eaters. They didn't seem to want to be cheated of a meal or merely something to shred apart, as they had followed her all the way down the road, notifying Kallie of their presence with their chattering. Reluctantly, she turned away from the silver-haired man and faced them once more. He would have to wait.

Picking right up from where they had left off in the battle, the two Whole Eaters charged Kallie. She brandished the pipe at the nearest Whole Eater, striking it right in its eyes and causing the thing to screech painfully. Kallie pushed her advantage while it was injured, striking it again and again like she knew she must have with the Whole Eater she had killed.

But as if it was aiding its companion, the other Whole Eater jumped right onto her back, causing her to cry out. As it attempted to sever her spine, its putrid breath sickened her, and she jabbed the pipe the pipe at it desperately. It fell off, but screeched malevolently as it rushed her again, its companion doing the same. Hastening to jump out of harm's way, the unexpected result was that they collided, the sickle of the one that had leapt onto her halving its companion.

Kallie couldn't believe fortune had favored her as the afflicted monster collapsed to the ground, dead. Suddenly cocky with success, she leapt at the remaining monster, raising the pipe above her head and preparing for a finishing blow. Yet the Whole Eater nimbly dodged the onslaught, and Kallie ended up striking soil. Pain shot through her legs from having landed so hard, causing her to stumble; the monster took advantage of her momentary loss of balance, and lashed out its sickle.

Two successive screams followed: one from May, and one from Kallie as the razor sharp edge sliced across her side. It hadn't cut too deep, but it was enough to make her double over, clenching her teeth. The blood glinted on the Whole Eater's sickle as it advanced, seeming to sense her injury. Yet, just then, a stone came flying out of nowhere, hitting the Whole Eater in the back. Startled, Kallie glanced up, and saw May.

Seeming to debate for a moment its real victim, the Whole Eater then turned from Kallie and went, instead, for May. Frantically picking up another stone, May threw it, but missed. She cried out, scrambling away as fast as she could, as much as she knew it would be in vain.

"_May!_"

It was like Kallie had become numb to the gash on her side, taking to her heels like there was no pain at all. All her thoughts were solely on May, on stopping that creature even if it meant her own life. A familiar, powerful heat surged through her, giving her the energy that she so desperately needed, and that she frantically tapped into as she swung the pipe at the Whole Eater.

And the moment the swing of her arm had ended, the Whole Eater suddenly burst into flame right before her. It screeched, wailing a terrible noise as it writhed about, fruitlessly trying to extinguish the fire, until it was finally was consumed by the blaze. All eyes—even Yazoo's—were fixed, stunned, on the blazing carcass, and it wasn't until the fire began to die down that Kallie collapsed to her knees, panting.

_What did that girl just do?_ Yazoo admitted to being astonished by the unexpected display of magic, yet wasn't impressed in the slightest. He was just dumbfounded that this girl (who, by his reckoning, had displayed the poorest fighting skills he had yet to see) had suddenly cast what was undeniably a Fire spell, and she didn't seem to have a single materia on her either.

Meanwhile, Kallie was thinking along the same lines about herself as she fell forward onto her hands, still panting heavily as a drop of sweat ran down her face. Had she really been the one who had done that? There was no way in hell May could have done that. The only other person around here was…

_No… way…_

There was no way it could be that silver-haired man. There was just no possible way in all of hell. As she stared over her shoulder at him, it turned back into that glare. All the while, May looked on, still terrified as Kallie stood, picked up the pipe, and strode towards Yazoo with complete vindictiveness. Seeing the vehement hate in her eyes, he was doubly sure now that she knew who he was—and what he had done.

There were so many curses Kallie wanted to spit out at him, but she couldn't even manage to swear. Instead, she let her furious expression emanate her thoughts as she stopped not three feet from him, her grip on the pipe tighter than ever. Eying her makeshift weapon, Yazoo resented the fact that she had the upper hand as he glared back up at her. However, when he saw her grip the pipe firmly in both hands, it suddenly hit him what she intended to do.

As fast as his hindered body could manage, Yazoo lifted Velvet Nightmare to point up at her, to defend himself against the oncoming attack. But, he was too weak, and his arm dropped back to the ground before he could pull the trigger. The next instant, her boot came down on his gun, causing him to lose his hold before she kicked it out of his hand and sending it flying several feet away behind her. In the pause that followed, emerald eyes met hazel ones, and Yazoo was—for once—helpless as Kallie brought the pipe down with all the remaining strength she could muster.

May, who had been watching with bated breath, flinched as a metallic thud reverberated through the air—Kallie had struck the silver-haired man atop the head, and he subsequently slumped to the ground. A heavy silence followed, only penetrated by Kallie's deep, shuddering breathing; she looked stunned, disbelieving at what she had just done.

Her arm lowered, and she released the pipe for the second time, letting it drop with a clatter as she fell to her knees beside him. Bending over him, she pushed his hair out of the way and—as repulsive as it must have been for her—placed her fingers on either side of his neck.

"I-is he a-alive?" May stuttered fearfully as her cousin checked for the man's pulse. A fresh trail of blood had started to trickle down from beneath his hair. _Did Kallie… really… just…?_

"…He's alive."

The man's eyes had shut, concealing the cold, unfathomable green and eerie slit pupils. It was hard to tell whether or not he was breathing, but he had a pulse that was only too clear an indication he lived. Her hands that she had removed from around his neck were clenched into trembling fists. Another silent moment passed while Kallie knelt there, staring down at the immobile body, and then she suddenly stood.

"C'mon, May!" she snapped. "We're going home!"

"Kallie…?"

"_Now!_" With plaintive anger, Kallie picked up the pipe, stepped around the motionless man, and stormed down the road, her hand over the bleeding wound in her side.

May didn't hesitate another moment, but still paused to view the battlefield: the remains of the Whole Eaters, and the unmoving form of the silver-haired man. Shuddering once more at the sight, she hastened to follow her cousin out of Midgar's ruins.


	4. Taken By Storm

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 4**

_Taken By Storm_

"That's such an awful thing to happen! Are you sure you're both all right?"

"I think we'll live."

Kallie's tone was still dark and disgruntled, and her mood hadn't improved much, if at all. It was to be expected, since the wound in her side had made the walk home so much harder. It didn't help that the gash had kept bleeding freely, and though she had resorted to a sock—the only thing she could use—to attempt to staunch the wound, Kallie thought she would never be able to make it home without passing out from blood loss. It had been an absolute miracle to encounter Mrs. Eliot on their way back.

Now, on Mrs. Eliot's urging, May was fast asleep in bed, tuckered out from all the day's events; it had all been too exhausting for the poor child. Kallie and Mrs. Eliot were both seated on the couch in the living room, discussing what had happened, after having properly tended to the wound with a Potion and bandages. Mrs. Eliot had been shocked to hear about the Whole Eaters and the silver-haired man, whom she had also had hoped was gone forever.

A silence had fallen between the two, during which Mrs. Eliot seemed to be still processing the information, and Kallie still partly fuming, partly sulking. Even so, despite her hatred, she also felt a powerful remorse over what she had done. Had it really been the right thing to do? After all he had done to May and those children, had it still been a wise thing to simply walk away and leave him to die?

When Kallie had seen him slump to the ground, she had believed for one horror-struck, stunned moment that she had actually killed him. At discovering otherwise from his faint pulse that he still lived, Kallie hadn't known whether to be relieved or deeply dismayed. She still couldn't decide upon it, even now.

As if her thoughts had somehow been transferred to Mrs. Eliot, the older woman gave her a gently questioning look. "Are you sure… it was the right thing to do, Kallie? I know what he did, but…" She shifted uneasily. "He was hurt, and in need of someone to help him…"

"He deserves it!" Kallie suddenly shouted, pounding her fist on the armrest. Her knuckles turned white as the fist clenched even tighter. "Why should I feel sorry for him, after all he's done? He deserves to die! And whither away on his own! And be left for the monsters! He… he…"

Just as it had done upon encountering the silver-haired man again, Kallie's voice became strangled with fury. Unable to utter another coherent cry, she rigidly sat there, her face frozen in a scowl. But, just as quickly, the fury seemed to relinquish its hold on Kallie. She slumped forward, her elbows landing on her knees as her head fell into her hands, and remained like that for a while.

Finally, she drew herself up again and slumped back against the sofa, feeling again the strains of fatigue from that strenuous battle and especially the pangs of pain from her wound. Glancing over at Mrs. Eliot, Kallie saw her looking away, seemingly taken aback by her outburst. Although there was some relief in releasing some of her pent-up anger, she still felt the twinges of guilt and embarrassment.

"Sorry about that, Mrs. Eliot," she apologized. "But… I had to."

As Kallie had expected, however, Mrs. Eliot shook her head, smiling benignly at her. "It's all right, Kallie. You've been through a lot today too."

Relieved that her loss of temper hadn't had any worse consequences, Kallie flashed a grin over at her and put her hands behind her head. It was just one of the many things she loved about this woman; she was always so forgiving and understanding whenever Kallie fell into one of her darker mood spells. So much unlike the mother she had once known.

The next half hour they spent merely talking, a conversation just for the sake of forgetting the encounter in Midgar. After checking on the Bradfords' conditions one last time, Mrs. Eliot resigned back to her own apartment, leaving Kallie to make dinner for herself and May. Although it was sooner than when they usually had supper, Kallie not only was starting to feel hungry, but needed to do something to keep her mind off the silver-haired man.

Just as the stir-fry Kallie was currently making was halfway done, May came out of the bedroom, yawning and stretching. Her pigtails, which she hadn't bothered to remove before the nap, were askew, and she was in the process of trying to fix them.

"Had a good nap?" Kallie asked, taking her eyes from the onions in the pan for only a moment. May still looked quite drowsy, but well rested.

"Yeah…" May yawned, stretching again before peering into the frying pan. "You're making stir-fry tonight?"

"Yep! And I'm going to make it better than ever!"

"Yeah, but… you burned it before two times."

"Did not!" Kallie denied, tossing in the chopped chicken pieces for the next step. "Well…" She checked herself, remembering the last time she had made the dish. "I _was_ trying to make the chicken a little crispier, but that didn't really work out as it meant burning all the vegetables…" May started to giggle, knowing she had hit the truth, while Kallie chuckled. "C'mon, you know I'm getting better at this!"

That did prove to be the case—at least a little. Having left it on for a bit longer than she intended (as Kallie had a penchant of doing), it did end up being singed again. But, feeling that she was finally getting someplace with her culinary skills, at least when it came to cooking stir-fry, Kallie couldn't help but be proud of such a small, little accomplishment. A self-esteem boost helped to ease away some of her still-lingering negative sentiments.

Throughout the meal, Kallie also closely watched May, looking for even the slightest indication of how the encounter had affected her cousin. To her surprise (although she had been expecting it), while May seemed a little more pensive than usual, she showed no signs of being anymore affected than she already was. By the time dinner was over, it seemed it would stay that way, for no mention of the man had been made. Yet as Kallie and May were collecting the dishes from the table to be washed, something suddenly occurred to Kallie.

"Mog still has that rip in his side, doesn't he?"

"Yeah," May confirmed, placing her plate and silverware on the counter beside the sink.

"Okay, then," declared Kallie, stacking the dishes and silverware. "I'll do the dishes later. We'll get started on Mog right away!"

"'We'?"

"Of course 'we'! You need to start learning how to sew too, y' know. Your mom… would be so happy you if you did."

As May grinned and cheered, Kallie fetched Mog from the bedroom. Soon, the two relatives were seated on the couch: Kallie with the sewing kit in her lap, and Mog in May's arms.

Most particularly in the last seven years, Kallie had grown accustomed to this sort of thing. Ever since May's mother had died in childbirth, and Mom had later vanished one fateful night, she had been forced to assume the role of a not only a sister to May, but a mother as well. It hadn't been easy, given Kallie had only been twelve back then, and May only a year old; admittedly, Kallie had taken it less seriously before Meteor and Geostigma. But, in the past months, with Uncle gone, and having lived in terror of losing May too, she had made it her top responsibility.

Finally, a few hours later, after Mog had been stitched back together, and the dishes had been washed and put away, May stated she wanted to go back to bed.

"All right," Kallie said, though her attention was more veered toward the television show she was watching. Although she too felt weary, it wasn't enough to make her want to climb into bed. She was also too used to staying up late on weekends. "I'm gonna be up for a little while, though, 'kay?"

However, Kallie did take a few minutes to tuck May in as she always did, bid her good night, and afterwards went back to watch television for a while longer. Too bored to do much else, she merely flicked through the channels. Soon, though, as the night progressed, the shows seemed to grow duller and less appealing to her, and Kallie decided it was time she got some sleep. Just as she had made that decision, she hit the channel button one last time on the remote, and froze.

"And now, for some updated news on the rampage of monsters yesterday in Edge." Kallie had stumbled in just as an anchorwoman was beginning to report a story on the news channel. She took care to keep the volume down, as the door to the bedroom was ajar. "According to numerous eyewitness accounts, three silver-haired men were confirmed to have unleashed these creatures."

As the anchorwoman went on, several photos in turn appeared behind her: one had captured the skeletal creatures scampering about, and another showed the dragon soaring over the city. The one that made Kallie clenched her fingers over the remote the most, however, was the photograph of the two silver-haired men standing in front of the once-existing monument, encircled by all those zombie-fied kids.

"Although the identities of the three silver-haired men still have not been made clear, we have received information from an anonymous source that all three have been declared dead. Rest assured, everyone, it is indeed safe to return to the streets now, and efforts are underway to rebuild what has been damaged or destroyed. All right, back to you, Frank."

"Thank you, Brianna," said the anchorman, as the camera was turned on him. "Now it's time for our weather—"

Having no interest in learning tomorrow's forecast, Kallie switched off the television and stood, stretching. It was the end to yet another day that had been far too long. Who could ever imagine that so much action would take place in only a few days? Too much for Kallie, that was for sure.

As she remembered the past three days, Kallie found herself staring out the back glass door, in the direction of Midgar. Unable to keep her thoughts off the silver-haired man after that news report, she now couldn't help but wonder how he was doing out there, how much he was suffering. Also, she couldn't help but wonder whether or not she should report to the news station that one of the silver-haired men was indeed still alive.

_But the hell's the point of it?_ Kallie was quick to dissent at the idea. _You said yourself he deserved to rot in the ruins of Midgar!_ Besides, any punishment that the authorities had in mind fell short of what was justifiable for him.

* * *

_My… head…_

Upon regaining consciousness, that was the first thing to come across Yazoo's mind. He had a wracking headache, and for a second, he almost couldn't move. When he gingerly touched his hairline, where the throbbing pain was the worst, he felt a dried trail of blood, and it took another second to remember what had taken place. For the first time he could ever recall in his short life, Yazoo felt ashamed.

How could he let himself be knocked out so easily, and by a mere human girl, too? He must have been so much weaker than he had realized. At least the pain had lessened, and he could move now, whereas it had been so difficult the first time. However, his broken rib still proved to be a hindrance as he lifted himself upright and looked around.

A while had definitely passed while he had been unconscious, as night had cloaked Midgar in darkness, though the ruins were clearly lit with the abundance of moonlight. Although he already had excellent night-vision, the illumination helped as he scanned the area around him, looking for any monsters that might be roaming about.

Seeing the area was surprisingly devoid of life, he next began looking for someplace to hide, someplace away from the open where it would be less likely for a person or a monster to stumble across him again. Though he saw various houses and buildings, all the scattered debris barred any entrance inside. The only place he could see that had clear access was a church, situated a couple hundred yards away, and which the road he rested on led right up to. Unsteadily, he rose to his feet, staggered over to pick up Velvet Nightmare from where that girl had kicked it out of his hand, and made the arduous journey to reach this refuge.

When he took his first step inside the church, an odd feeling overtook him. It was like… a sense of relief, a sentiment that seemed to reassure salvation, and that he had found a place to rest. But, Yazoo didn't muse on it as he sat down on the nearest intact pew, only grateful that he finally had a place to relax his aching body at long last.

Although it hadn't occurred to Yazoo before, he remembered the church where Loz had been supposed to go in their hunt for Mother, and he was pretty sure this was the very place. The church was wrecked, and from what Loz had told them, he had done quite a bit of damage in his battle with that woman. Given his brother's strength and violent tendencies, Yazoo wasn't surprised in the slightest. However, he'd never know that Kadaj was truly responsible for the majority of the wreckage.

Yet as he reflected back on Loz and Kadaj, his brothers that were now gone, he encountered yet another odd feeling—an aching in his chest that had nothing to do with his broken rib. It was a feeling he could recognize: it was one of longing, like when they had searched for Mother. Yet, if anything, this yearning was more powerful than it had been for her. Other than Mother, they had been the only things he had ever cared about in this entire world, even Kadaj to a certain degree, and it pained him to know that he might never see them again… at least, not in this life.

What else could Yazoo say? They had been the only people he had ever truly known, the only ones he had ever trusted, and he missed them already.

* * *

Nearly a week passed since the day of the encounter. For Kallie and Yazoo respectively, it went by quite differently for both of them.

For Kallie, it had flown by rather quickly, or at least more swiftly than it had previously with Uncle's death and May's Geostigma, when all hope had seemed lost, and meaning would be gone from her life. There were still times when Kallie wondered whether or not it was a dream whenever she glanced at May's neck and arms, so unused to seeing the skin clear of the black blemishes. However, it was a reality that Kallie was more than willing to keep alive.

_If only this had happened those months ago… before Uncle died…_

The memory of her uncle was more painfully sharp in the calm after this storm. Though Kallie had pulled through the overwhelming grief, no one could ever really get over such a loss, particularly since he had been the man who had been a replacement for the father figure otherwise absent in her life. It was especially in the times when she saw May's unblemished skin that she wished for him to be here again—just so he could experience this new happiness, this new joy, as well. That, and if only he had lived enough to receive that cure too… Just if only he had been able to pull through a few more months… Yet, Kallie's own reasoning made her snap back to reality; mourning wasn't going to revive Uncle.

Beside the sadness, there was still the anger that resided within her. Kallie's thoughts still often turned back to that silver-haired man, and every time they were tainted with hatred. Although she knew that it was impossible to completely eradicate him from her memories, Kallie still tried with all of her heart. Every single time, she kept reiterating to herself, over and over again: _he's dead. He's got to be dead by now. No one with injuries like that can last this long._

Even so, despite all those efforts to forget him, she could not help but ponder on how he had ended up so injured like that. Kallie had also realized that he must have been separated from his partners-in-crime, as there certainly had been no signs of any other persons at that time. Something drastic had definitely happened to him.

_But at least I had a share in those injuries._ The thought would make Kallie smirk smugly. At least she had gotten the chance to satisfy her vindictiveness after all; without the heavy weight of a grudge on her shoulders, it had become easier to deny that silver-haired man had even existed.

For Yazoo, it was those injuries that had made the week crawl by so painfully slow for him. Wanting to move as little as possible, all he was able to do was sit there in the church, doing nothing other than resting and occasionally tinkering with Velvet Nightmare. When he had eventually grown a little better, he would sometimes walk around or perform small exercises, just so his body could adjust faster while he healed and to be rid of his restlessness. It wouldn't be long, though, before he would be forced to have a seat on the nearest pew.

This sluggish rate at which he was recovering, however, was really starting to frustrate Yazoo more than anything else. He hadn't wanted to spend an entire week healing here in this run-down church—he wanted out. He had to get going. But, he was simply too weak to, and it was getting to the point where he couldn't help but feel frustrated. Damn it, what was _taking_ so long? His wounds should be all but gone by now…

Sometimes, as it grew later into the week, he felt the pangs of hunger and thirst. But, given the fact he was blessed with Mother's resilience, Yazoo barely needed nourishment as often as ordinary humans did. His growling stomach became easy to ignore, though the same couldn't be said of his thirst. That was so much harder to refuse, especially when there was a pool full of clear, delicious-looking water standing right nearby. Once, unable to bear it any longer, he had tried to drink from it, and then wash away the sickening grime that was all over his body.

However, his fingers had barely disturbed the tranquil surface when he had yanked his hand away again, as if the water had been boiling hot. In truth, that was what it had felt like: the same, scalding pain that the caustic rain had poured down on him and Loz. As he nursed his inflicted fingers, Yazoo glared at the pool, realizing it must have formed from all that rain. It was in that moment he wondered why he shouldn't just shoot himself now, just to end this excruciating wait before he died a pathetic death from a mere lack of nourishment.

_And forsake the mission Mother gave us?_

Mother. She was the only thing that made Yazoo prolong his tolerance of the situation. Without him or his brothers, there was no other way for her desires to be fulfilled. Kadaj was dead, and if the same came to be of Loz… it would be all up to him. Yet, even just the mere thought of carrying on their mission alone was too much to bear. Even with the three of them, they had all failed, so how well could a remnant on his own fare?

But, he knew if it came down to it, there was no other way. He could be her only son who had survived, the only one alive now to carry through with Mother's plans. He was not going to abandon her.

_Not if I can help it._

* * *

Dusk had fallen over Edge. The very last of the setting sun's rays could be seen behind the city's buildings, though the night's star-dotted sky was more prominent. Under the glow of the streetlights, there were still crowds of people milling about. Their numbers were much less, however, given they were still shaken by the aftermath of the events from a week ago. Despite the reassuring news reports that the trio of silver-haired men had been confirmed to be dead, not exactly everyone had been wholly convinced they and their monsters weren't going to suddenly reappear.

He emerged from the darkness of an alley into a completely deserted street, far back from the rest of Edge. The only signs of movement he could perceive was a cat slinking along in the shadows, and a single, flickering streetlight, the sole source of illumination, which seemed to threaten to burn out at any second. But, the instant he stepped beneath it, the dying bulb suddenly flared to life, as if it had just been replaced. Barely flinching at the sudden brightness, he leaned back against the pole.

He had heard of what had taken place here, in this fragile city called Edge: the city that was simply nothing more than a weak imitation of the once-powerful metropolis known only two years ago as Midgar. Long ago, he had once wanted to visit Midgar, simply because it had been the most famous—or perhaps infamous—city in the entire world. Now, that he was in Edge, though, he could not help but mourn the lost opportunity—the place was only a ghostly image of its predecessor.

_Edge's a lot bigger than I reckoned it'd be, though_, he remarked to himself, glancing down the deserted street.

The size of the city might make it more like trying to find a needle in a haystack, yeah, but at least little effort was needed in finding this needle. Though the energy signal was still weak, his developed senses were usually dead-on accurate, and if there wasn't that slim chance they could be lying, he knew the 'needle' had to be here. Besides, on the same day he had felt it, that incident had occurred in Edge. Especially with what had been involved, it couldn't be a mere coincidence.

Absentmindedly, his finger traced the hilt of the sheathed sword strapped at his hip, while he mused over his plans that he had separately formulated on his way to Edge. He knew what he had to do. It was so simple he would be out of here in a day. Best yet, this particular 'needle' wouldn't be fleeing anytime soon; it had no idea it was being sought out, after all.

_At least, not yet._

Complacently smirking, he removed himself from the pole and strode down the sidewalk toward the main street, in search of some place to stay for the night. Behind him, the streetlight suddenly flickered and flashed violently, then burned out completely, plunging the street into darkness.

* * *

"Hey, May, since I'm still making up the hours I've missed, I'll be working later again." Leaning over the back of the couch, Kallie hugged May and kissed her atop the head. "That'll be okay with you, right?"

"Yup!" May beamed back, feeling her pigtails to make sure they hadn't been messed up. "I'll be okay."

Kallie smiled, reassured, then hoisted her bag over her shoulder and made her way to the door. "All right, I'm off then! See ya!"

"Bye!"

When Kallie had gone, May settled back against the couch, waiting for Colin and Lucie to show up at the door, so they could all go and play in the streets as they usually did. Instinctively, she clutched Mog, who sat against her, a little more tightly to herself. Yet as her fingers brushed his side, she felt the stitch that she had sewn there with Kallie's aid.

As Kallie had correctly been assuming throughout the week, May had indeed been trying to forget the incident as well. Bu, it was just so much harder for her. The faces of the silver-haired men continued to haunt her wherever she was, even here in the security of the apartment, and especially whenever she went out onto the streets. The worst was in her dreams, where she was in their grasp all over again, reliving that night in that forest.

Sighing, May rubbed her eyes furiously, as if trying to knead out the sight of their faces. How much she wished it would just go away! Over and over again, she told herself they were gone! Then again, she had seen that silver-haired man in Midgar, just when she thought he would be gone forever; May had good reason to still be frightened. It had proven there still was a strong possibly they could reappear at any given moment, and May didn't know if she could stand another encounter with them.

But even then, she remembered what her cousin had said in response to May expressing her fears.

"They're gone, May," she had flat out stated a few days ago. Although her tone had been soft with forced gentleness, it had still been heavy with denial. "They're gone forever. They're not going to come back."

_Kallie's right._ May shook her head, a smile breaking over her face. _They're not gonna come back. They're not gonna hurt me anymore._

* * *

Back in the ruins of Midgar, someone was finally stirring.

Loz groaned as the late morning light hit his eyes, eyes that had not been opened for a week. He had no idea he had been unconscious for so long, but was aware nonetheless that a while had passed. Gingerly, he lifted his hand to his forehead, blocking out the killer rays that were already giving him a bit of a headache. Immediately, he shut his eyes again, letting a while pass to condition him to the bright sunlight that shone through his eyelids.

Lifting them again at last, Loz saw his surroundings for the first time, and he was almost startled to see he was no longer atop of that building. The area was completely unfamiliar, with piles of debris and shattered structures that were once houses surrounding him. Exactly how far had that explosion carried him?

Grunting again, he attempted to pull himself up into a seated position, but could not get his body even two inches off the ground. At least he was in much better condition than Yazoo had been when he had regained consciousness (although Loz hadn't the vaguest idea at the moment), and it only took a few more attempts before Loz finally managed to sit up. Although he had to marvel he had survived if he had indeed been hurled such a distance, Loz knew his resilient, toughened physique was to thank.

Now that he was sitting upright, he was able to study the environment around him more thoroughly. Although he hadn't really taken time to memorize Midgar during the few times he and his brothers were here, Loz knew this hadn't been any place he had been before, and the building where the explosion had occurred was also nowhere in sight. But, even as he tried to recognize at least something, it suddenly struck him what he had, until now, failed to notice.

Yazoo wasn't with him.

Barely a second passed after the realization did Loz leapt to his feet—or at least tried to. It felt as though someone had just stabbed a knife into his leg, bringing him right back down onto his knees. He grunted with the unexpected pain, but was not stopped from glancing around, looking in desperation for his brother. Just as he feared, Yazoo was nowhere to be seen.

_Yazoo…_

Upsetting possibilities of what could have happened to Yazoo chased each other around in his head, each giving him a disconcerting, sick feeling in his stomach. Had the explosion killed his brother? Had it completely destroyed his body? Was he dead, but had been blown someplace else? The only comforting thing he could think of was that his brother had indeed ended up someplace else and was either alive and well, or alive but too injured to wander far. Fervently, Loz hoped it were the latter assumptions.

Recovering slightly, Loz stood again, though this time less vigorously and more cautiously. Although he had managed to successfully get to his feet, he still had to lean against a nearby wall that had once been part of some building, as it hurt to put more pressure on that one leg. Though it was perhaps too soon to be active when he had been comatose for so long, only one thought concerned Loz: Yazoo. Knowing Kadaj was all but alive now… Yazoo was otherwise the only person he would have left. He had to find him. He had to see if he was all right.

* * *

_How many more damn hours?_

Heaving a frustrated sigh, he tapped his foot impatiently, eyes fixed on the entrance of an apartment building. He was seated on top of an adjacent building, a place that had a fantastic view of the rooftops across Edge, and a perfect position for him to keep an eye on the streets below. That was where he had been forced to keep his gaze for the past couple of hours, and he had easily grown bored with the vigilance. If it hadn't been for the importance of his mission here, he would have left long ago.

Flipping his hair out of his eyes, he frowned as he surveyed again the apartment building. He had been waiting here since six o' clock this morning, and she still hadn't shown up! Certainly she had a job to go to, unless—and it exasperated him to think it—she didn't have work at all today. If that were the case, then he just might scream in frustration; this was testing his patience enough already. But, as he shifted irritably, he caught movement down below.

Leaning forward to see more down into the street, he watched with utter intent as the door to the building opened, and a teenage girl appeared. Yet, the moment he had laid eyes on her, they had widened in shock and surprise and he actually started a little. Just her overall physical appearance… the resemblance was even closer than he had imagined. The moment of shock, however, passed quickly. The resemblance had only confirmed he had been watching the right place after all.

_It's about __**time**__ she came out._

Slowly straightening up, he continued to watch the orange-haired girl stride down the street that lead towards the main part of Edge. From the bag slung over her shoulder, she had to be leaving for a while, and not just taking a short trip someplace. Knowing he had to make sure, he began to stealthily follow her along the rooftops. He didn't know exactly how sharp her senses were, though she remained just as oblivious to the boy that was shadowing her as the rest of the crowd.

But, just when he thought he could shadow her less covertly, she unexpectedly paused, beginning to glance around. Instinctively, he swiftly ducked out of sight, scolding himself if he had foolishly blown his own cover. However, she then smiled and waved down the street, and was soon joined by a girl her age, undoubtedly a friend of hers. Immensely relieved that she hadn't really noticed him at all, he was able to breathe easier. So, her abilities were as dull as he had first assumed.

He stood still and quiet where he stood, watching the two girls as they casually conversed while they walked. Once again, he followed, up until he saw them enter an alley behind a large building he knew to be a warehouse, and where they disappeared through a door marked 'Employees Only'. This confirmed what he had figured: she would definitely be gone for a while.

After keeping an eye on the employees' entrance, to ensure that they really would be gone, he then turned around and began to leap back across the rooftops. He had only needed to follow her to see where she was employed; he had some more business to attend to at her apartment. In a matter of minutes, he arrived back at the very place where he had waited two hours, and where he would have to wait yet again.

He had not been there long before the door of the building opened once more, and this time a boy and two girls came trotting out. Although he didn't recognize any of the three kids, the girl with her brown hair in pigtails and carrying a moogle doll caught his attention. But while she did match the description he had been given, he knew he couldn't make any concrete assumptions yet; for all he knew, there could be more young girls with brown hair living in that building.

_Unless…_

"Hey, May! Catch!"

A couple of boys around the same age had just entered the scene, one of them carrying a ball, which he bounced to the brown-haired girl. Barely managing to catch it on the tips of her fingers, the girl apparently named May tossed it to the other girl, starting some game that they obviously all knew. It made him envious, since he would now have to remain here for another grueling period, with nothing to do at all. How he wished he could go off someplace else to pass the time! But no—he had been told to keep an eye on them no matter what.

And that he did—for a full six hours. He himself was amazed he had lasted this long, forcing down his boredom as he watched May and her friends play in the streets, discreetly following her wherever she went. Despite the small portions of food he had brought, he felt the pangs of hunger and thirst, though he couldn't let something as unimportant as that affect him. Finally, as the sun began to sink in the sky, May bade her friends goodbye before heading back into her apartment.

At last. The moment had come.

* * *

May should have known better. It had been so foolhardy of her to develop such a strong sense of security, encouraged by Kallie's denials. If the young girl hadn't, then she might be at least be slightly more prepared for what was about to befall her. Yet, she remained blissfully ignorant as she entered their apartment, using the spare key she always kept with her. She also remained oblivious to the eyes that followed her every move as she poured herself a cup of juice before plopping down on the sofa.

As she took a sip of juice, May switched on the television and instantly went to her favorite cartoon, which usually occupied her until Kallie got home. However, she kept glancing back towards the kitchen clock, a little more anxiously because her cousin would be working later tonight again. Thankfully, as far as she was aware, this would be the last night. Reassuring herself with that thought, she engrossed herself in the cartoon, all the while unsuspecting of the figure standing on the fire escape outside, eyes fixated on her through the glass door.

That was, until the glass door behind her was shattered with a brilliant flash of light.

* * *

"All right, so we'll meet up at my place, then?" asked Kallie, as they came to the street block where Kallie's apartment was located. Since they had been robbed of the opportunity last week, the two friends had decided to hang out at Kallie's place, and Kallie had eagerly jumped on the chance to be with a friend after so long, not about to let it slip away again.

All the while, Kallie remained completely unaware of what had befallen her cousin.

"Yep, and I'll be sure to bring a movie or two," replied Rika. "And how about some board games so May can join in too?"

"I'm sure she'll love that."

"Okay then, see ya!"

Rika gave Kallie a brief hug, then quickly darted away down another street, in the direction of her own apartment where she lived with her family. After watching her go for a moment, Kallie then proceeded to the door of her apartment building. Entering, she trekked up the three flights of stairs and down the hallway, drawing her keys as she came to her door.

"I'm back, May!" Kallie called out cheerfully, shutting the door behind her and walking into the living room as she tossed her bag aside. "Listen, Rika's coming over, and…"

But she trailed off, pausing in the living room at having seen May wasn't in sight, nor had she given any response. The apartment was in semidarkness as well. She knew May had been here, since the T.V. was on, and Mog sat on the couch. She spotted the plastic cup lying on the floor, the carpet around it darkly stained from the juice the cup had once contained.

_May wouldn't spill anything without cleaning it up_, Kallie realized, and the thought worried her. It worried her immensely. "May? Are you… here?"

Those words had only just left her mouth when she felt a chilly draft, as if someone had left a window open, even though there weren't any windows to leave open except in the bedrooms. Rubbing her arms as goosebumps crept over her skin, Kallie glanced up, and gasped.

The glass door that led to the fire escape was shattered into pieces.

It had been hard to see before with the lack of light in the room, and the fact it was nearly pitch-black outside. Kallie might have cursed herself for overlooking it before, but she was too gripped by shock and horror to even make a sound. She was frozen to the spot, staring at the shattered glass, struggling to register what she was seeing.

This couldn't be happening—_not again!_

An invisible force was the only thing that was able to rip Kallie's feet away from the carpet, driving her to leap over the couch and rush to the fire escape. The shards that were littered everywhere crunched beneath Kallie's boots as she fumbled to unlock the door, cutting her fingers on the broken glass as she pushed it open and darted out onto the fire escape.

"May!" she shrieked out into the darkness, her hand tightly gripping the handrail as she leaned over, trying to spot her cousin. "_May!_"

"Y'know, it's really stupid to just _rush out_ when you just discovered somebody's broken into your apartment."

Startled, Kallie whirled about in the direction of the voice, her fist clenching in preparation to throttle whomever it was. At first, being unable to see anything in the darkness around her, she was bewildered as to where the voice's owner was. But then, on a nearby fire escape to her left, she spotted the outline of a young man, barely distinguishable in the sparse lighting from the streetlights.

Seated on the railing, he had one leg dangling almost casually over the side, with his back against the wall. Although he was mostly in shadow, Kallie was able to make out that he wore casual-looking clothing, and his short, scruffy hair seemed to be of a fair color. What surprised her the most, though, was that he barely appeared to be any older than she was—younger, even.

"Who the hell are you?" Kallie addressed him, glowering. Her first immediate assumption was that he was the culprit behind the shattered door.

She saw him tilt his head slightly, as if in a deriding fashion. "Jeez, and no manners either. But, then again…" With a low laugh, he swung his leg back over the railing and put his feet back on the fire escape's platform. "My manners ain't really any better."

"Fine then." Not bothering to hide her rising temper, she planted her hands on her hips assertively. "I'll try that again, if you want. _Please _tell me who are you, and why you broke into my apartment." _At least he admitted to __**that**__, the bastard._

Yet, while Kallie donned a brave, unwavering guise, she couldn't ignore her insides that quivered both out of anger and fear. Although his cocky demeanor annoyed her, there was something about it that had a deadly, frightening edge to it.

He gave a low snicker. "Much better, _Kallie_."

She flinched heavily. _How…?_ "How the _hell_ do you know my name?"

"So many questions… should I really answer 'em all?" he muttered, almost to himself. It was clear he was enjoying taunting and eluding her.

Kallie's blood boiled to a dangerous level, eradicating the fear she had felt before. "Okay, I've had it with your damn game! Either spill, or I'll beat the shit outta you!"

The instant Kallie had said that, though, she immediately felt like an idiot; a good, ten-foot gap separated her and this supposed criminal. Undoubtedly, he thought so too, for he openly laughed at the hollow threat.

"Damn, you're an idiot," he scoffed under his breath, and Kallie fumed. "Still…" Something like malevolence gleamed in his eyes. "Out of all the questions you've asked me, I guess I shouldn't be surprised you ain't asked about your _dear_ cousin yet."

And again, Kallie flinched horribly. The cruel stranger took the opportunity to step aside, allowing Kallie to stare past him, and she nearly drew back in horror. There behind him, slouched against the railing, was the unmistakable, motionless form of May. It was, for that excruciating moment, a horrible reflection of how Kallie had found May a week ago—a sight she had been so thoroughly convinced she would never see again. But, the horror that had frozen her in place for the past few moments vanished, and was replaced by senseless injustice and anger.

"What did you do to her?" Kallie hissed, her hands clenching into tight fists, now fully ready to lunge at him, regardless of the distance. "What the hell did you do to my cousin, you _sicko!_"

"What does it look like I did?" Smugly, he flipped his hair back as a smirk crossed his faintly lit features.

Not even the anger and hatred Kallie had felt a week ago could compare to what she felt right now. Just a hair away from the snapping point, her fists had tightened so much she almost drew blood from her nails piercing her palms. She was so desperate to get her cousin back that she truly considered launching right at him, even though it would only result in her becoming a bloody splat on the pavement below. In that moment, she had never felt so powerless.

Yet, amid the fury and desperation she felt, she thought there was a plan formulating in her head—a way she could draw him to her just so she could fight him, maybe even overpower him and get May back from him. She had barely given it a second thought before she hastened to put it into effect.

"If you can talk so big," she snarled, barely managing to contain her rage to even utter coherent words. "Then stop your damn _cowering_ over there and fight me, you son of a bitch!"

All he did was laugh. "Sounds good to me."

And then somehow, some way, the young man was able to leap straight across that gap, at a speed Kallie couldn't even begin to comprehend. On automatic instinct, she tried to lash out at him, utterly bewildered, but only swept through empty air. Just as quickly, his fist collided heavily with her stomach, and Kallie doubled over, feeling her feet leave the platform with the impact as the wind was forced out of her.

The next instant, she was slammed hard against the door that hadn't been shattered, and there, he kept a powerful grip around her neck, his forearm pressing her front against the glass. Kallie would have fought back, but she was still reeling from the blows he had dealt, and couldn't even draw the breath to curse at him.

"You really do have a long way to go, don't ya?" he sneered softly into her ear, and Kallie, for the first time she could recall, felt more terrified than she was angry. He was far stronger than his slender frame suggested, and she knew she was at his mercy. Still unable to oppose him, she was helpless as he leaned in closer to her ear. "But… if it makes you happy… I'm not gonna let May get hurt."

Kallie barely had time to process those words before she felt him clap a hand to her back, and a powerful electrical shock surged through her body.

He watched in satisfaction as Kallie's body convulsed for a second, and then grew limp from the electrical shock he had dealt to knock her out. The technique he had discovered on his own was quite efficient, and he knew she wouldn't be coming back around anytime soon. Relinquishing his hold on her neck, he allowed her to fall back into his arms. Staggering slightly at how unexpectedly heavy she was, he half-carried, half-dragged her into the apartment and laid her down on the couch.

_At least that's over with_, he thought, eying her motionless form.

Then, he jumped slightly and wheeled around to face the door to the apartment, where he had heard knocking suddenly sound. He stood there, stock still, until the caller knocked again, and an older female voice called inside:

"Kallie? May? Are you in there? Is everything all right?"

As the person continued to knock and call out their names, he smirked, and had to refrain from chuckling out loud. Quietly, he strode back outside and jumped to the neighboring fire escape where he had left May. Scooping up the young girl in his arms, he silently leapt to the street below, vanishing into the night.

* * *

Voices. Softly speaking voices. That was the first thing Kallie became aware of. That, and the odd mixture of pain and numbness she felt. As she grew more and more conscious, she also realized she lay on something soft, and something equally soft was draped over her. In an attempt to discern her environment, to see where she lay, Kallie endeavored to open her eyes. Her vision first blurred, and then suddenly sharpened, allowing her surroundings and two familiar figures to swim into view.

Kallie was lying in the comfort of her bed, still dressed in her street clothes. The two familiar figures were Rika and Mrs. Eliot, seated on chairs from the kitchen table, both bearing a concerned, weary visage. It had been they whom she had heard talking, though they both instantly hushed at seeing Kallie finally stir.

"Kallie!" With relief that was more than apparent, Rika flung herself out of her chair and fell to her knees beside the bed. "You're awake!"

Mrs. Eliot, meanwhile, had stood with more composure, but looked just as relieved as Rika, with her hand resting over her heart. "Kallie… you're all right… thank _goodness_…"

"Rika… Mrs.… Eliot…?" Kallie murmured, weakly reaching an arm out to her friends. "What…?" Shakily, cautiously, she raised herself into an upright position, though flopped right back down with a groan as pain suddenly shot from her back.

"Kallie!" both Rika and Mrs. Eliot exclaimed, simultaneously rushing forward to their patient's aid. However, Kallie had barely hit the mattress when she suddenly sprang right back up with abrupt vigor, making her worried attendants stop in their tracks.

"May!" cried Kallie, distress appearing on her face before she suddenly pounded her fist on the bed sheets. "_Damn him! _That son of a bitch!"

"Kallie…" Mrs. Eliot whispered, while Rika had covered her mouth with her hands in alarm. "What… what happened here? Did you see…?"

Kallie nodded with clenched teeth. "I saw him all right, that _bastard_."

Mrs. Eliot nodded understandably but with concern, slowly sitting back down on her chair as a still slightly agitated Rika followed suit. "Please, tell us what happened."

"I saw that bastard, all right," Kallie reiterated in a mumble, then raised her voice to normal volume. "May was… gone when I came home. When I… saw the broken door, I… I knew something must've happened to her."

"So, that's really what happened," Mrs. Eliot quietly remarked. "We thought someone had broken in and harmed you, then took May. We saw…"

"I ran out onto the fire escape," Kallie broke in, mindless that the caring woman had said anything. "I looked and called out for May, and then he spoke to me, and insulted me, and I saw May behind him. I…" Her voice began to escalate again in anger.

"I got pissed off. I told him to come and fight me, but then he took me down, pinned me to the door, and then… I don't know _what_ that bastard did, but…" She then suddenly slapped a hand onto the sheets again, her whole body quivering. "Damn him, damn him, _damn him!_ I'll _kill_ him if it's the last thing I do!"

It was like she was caught in a riptide of emotions, all of which took a hold of Kallie as she rocked forward, her face falling into her hands as she sobbed despite her attempts to restrain them. Kallie had ever felt so distressed, so angered, so scared in her entire life. Her defenses were still worn and torn from the experiences of last week, and she—and May—had only begun to heal. Now, _this_ had sprung out of nowhere. It was her worst nightmare realized.

_This __**can't**__ be happening. This just doesn't happen to people!_

Rika and Mrs. Eliot had silently watched, in sympathetic concern, as Kallie had fought the urge to weep, and they were still at a loss for words as she attempted to recover. But finally, Mrs. Eliot spoke up again.

"I'm so sorry, dear," she whispered, standing and taking a new seat beside Kallie. There, she put a comforting arm around her. "I'm so sorry… I should've…"

But, Kallie only shook her head, drying her damp eyes on the sheets. "No. There was nothing anyone could've done."

Rika, meanwhile, had been moved to tears herself, and she imitated Mrs. Eliot's actions in sitting beside her friend, although instead took her hand and firmly held it. While Kallie did not appear to acknowledge it, barely moving from her spot save for another shudder that was almost a sob, their sympathy was more than appreciated. Already, Kallie could feel herself regaining her composure, as her eyes were less tearful, and her brow had furrowed, as if thinking something over.

"But… that's just it…" she voiced her thoughts aloud. "He _let_ me see him…"

"What do you mean, Kallie?" Mrs. Eliot stared at her friend more seriously. "You mean you actually saw what he looked like?"

Kallie nodded, then closed her eyes and tried to remember his appearance. "It was really dark outside, so I couldn't really see. But, I don't think he was even older than I was. His hair was straggly, kind of short, and it looked like it was blond. And…" She opened her eyes as she remembered the last item she had noted. "He was carrying a sword."

Rika clapped a hand to her mouth. "A-a _sword?_ He could be a murderer! Who knows what he could do to May?"

_Thanks for reminding me, Rika_, thought Kallie dryly. _Yet, then again…_ "I don't think he will. I clearly heard him say: 'I'm not gonna let May get hurt.' So… I don't think he'll kill or hurt her."

Deep inside, Kallie fervently hoped with all of her heart that that was the case; it was the only sort of relief she could find at the moment. Clearly, both of her friends thought the same thing, as they both seemed to relax a little.

"At least… that's a hope." Still, Rika looked anxious. "But, what's the sword for?"

"Who knows?" Kallie scratched the back of her head. "Maybe he'll murder somebody else, or he uses it to fight monsters, or…" And then, Kallie sat upright again so fast it seemed like she had been shocked again. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Think of… what?" questioned Rika, now thoroughly bewildered.

"He's working with that silver-haired man!"

Rika's jaw dropped. "What!"

"Are you… sure?" Mrs. Eliot asked. They both looked thunderstruck.

Kallie was sure, a hundred percent certain of it. May had told Kallie that there had been three silver-haired brothers, and had mentioned the apparent youngest had carried a sword. Sure, Kallie had thought he was blond, but maybe her eyes had been playing tricks on her in the darkness. Maybe this youth had found out what Kallie had done to the silver-haired man, and had kidnapped May out of revenge. After all, they had done it before, so why shouldn't they do it again?

"I'm pretty sure that's why he did it," declared Kallie stubbornly, after explaining her hunch. "And that means he could be in Midgar right now. So…" With sudden vigor, she freed herself from her friends and stepped to the floor. "I'm gonna go there right now!"

"But…" Rika stood up as well. "You're still hurt, you know!"

As if that was going to stop Kallie. Although she stumbled slightly, wincing, she still strode determinedly out of her bedroom to find her boots and jacket. In entering the kitchen, she noted that the glass shards had been swept up, the juice stain had been cleaned, and a large plastic bag had been taped over the broken door. That wasn't the end of the favors her friends had done for her, as Kallie turned to see Rika holding the very items she had been looking for.

"You really ought to eat before you go, Kallie," Mrs. Eliot said concernedly, appearing in the doorway of the bedroom. "It won't do you any good if you—"

"I don't care." Kallie glanced up as she finished donning the boots and jacket Rika had been holding out to her. "If he's out there right now, we need to get there as soon as we can." That, and with the urgent adrenaline racing through her, she had little to no appetite at all.

A frown creased Mrs. Eliot's features, but she silently nodded in understanding.

"Please, be careful," she cautioned, beginning to wring her hands. Although Kallie barely paused a second, she still looked back and gave a nod before walking out the front door with Rika.

* * *

Elsewhere that day, on a small rise of land, a man was seated on the ground. In his lap lay what appeared to be a journal, while in his hand he held a pen, and at his side was a pair of binoculars. It seemed that he had previously been writing, though now held the pen idly, as his gaze was currently fixed upon a pack of Kalm Fangs several hundred feet away. Occasionally, he would pick up the binoculars and train it on the creatures, then set it back aside and make some kind of note in his journal.

Just as he had finished the entry, he then paused, for he had heard the rustling of grass as someone walked softly towards him. He seemed to know who it was, for, without having to turn around, he acknowledged the person with a friendly greeting.

"Done so soon with training, are you?"

"Father…"

As the rustling ceased, he turned to see a young woman standing behind him, and he gave her a fatherly smile. Although she did not quite return the welcome, her face was neither unfriendly nor impassive, just bearing an expression that looked almost melancholy. However, she did walk the remaining distance between them, and sat down by her father's side.

"How is Pack C?" the young woman asked. "Hadn't the alpha female sustained an injury?"

"She did," he replied, peering through his binoculars at said Kalm Fang. "However, she seems to be recovering now." The man lowered the instrument and smiled once more at his daughter. "You realize you still haven't answered my question yet. You're never done this early in the day. What's… with the long face, dear?"

The woman fell quite silent, her face turned towards the ground, and the silence remained for almost a full minute. At last, she gave a quiet sigh.

"I should've informed you of this a week ago," she began. "I didn't want to speak of it, in case I was imagining things…" The woman breathed deeply, as if she were about to dive off a cliff. "Father… I felt it. I felt… _her._ She has… finally awakened."

A heavy silence fell. It was as if the young woman had just announced the death of someone beloved, and from the father's reaction, it almost seemed to be that way. He sat rigid on the spot, the color drained from his face, and his hands trembled so much that he dropped the pen he had held. Shakily, he picked it up where it had fallen to the grass.

"So…" He shut the journal, unable to continue with his writing. "The time… is finally here…"


	5. The Package

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 5**

_The Package_

It was much earlier in the morning than Kallie had realized, and it wasn't until she asked Rika about the time that she learned it was most likely seven A.M. by now. Kallie might as well have figured so, as the sun had risen from behind the buildings, and there was a significantly lesser amount of people on the streets. That Kallie was grateful for, since it made the trek to Midgar so much faster, and they were climbing through the hole in the fence in no time at all.

"Hang on, Kallie," panted Rika, having had to catch up with Kallie, who had continued on doggedly ahead. "Wait, are we really gonna meet that silver-haired guy?"

"Yup."

"W-what?" Rika stopped dead in her tracks. "S-seriously?"

Kallie kept on walking. "If it scares you that much, you can go back and forget about May."

"Of c-course not!" Flushing a little, Rika started to walk again. "I know how important May is to you, and I'm not going to abandon you or her. It's just… well, he's _dangerous_, Kallie."

That was a fact Kallie was more than aware of. In the times that she had encountered him—at the monument and here in Midgar's ruins, she had been rendered practically senseless with injustice and hatred, and proper judgment had been forgotten. She had been so fortunate that she had come out of those two encounters with only a few cuts here and there, when they could have probably easily killed her in a single blow. Although she had yet to see what sort of dangerous capabilities he possessed, she couldn't forget that he had been held responsible for part of Edge's destruction, and what other unnamed atrocities he had committed.

Not only that… but from all that she had seen and heard of him, Kallie couldn't bring herself to call him human in any way, and that alone was an unsettling notion.

"I know, Rika," Kallie said, beginning to feel her uneasiness sinking in. "I don't wanna have to be doing this either, but for May, we have to."

May—she was the only thing that kept Kallie on this forlorn path. After Meteor, their bond as cousins had only strengthened, and it wasn't until Geostigma had taken its toll on the Bradfords that she realized just how much she loved her little cousin. Not to mention there was the promise both had made to Uncle as he lay dying, that they would always look after each other after he was gone. It wasn't as if it was a situation Kallie liked, but she wasn't about to break that promise. She had nearly lost May before, the only family she had now, and she wasn't about to let that happen again.

* * *

In the upstairs room of the 7th Heaven, which served as the office for Strife Delivery Service, the phone had begun to ring as usual. And, as usual, Tifa Lockhart was there to answer it.

"Hello, this is Strife Delivery Service," she spoke into the mouthpiece once she had picked up the phone. "You name it, we deliver it! …All right, I see." Picking up a pen, which was always at the ready, she began to scribble the customer's order down. "Now, where would you like this delivered?"

A week ago, things had been different in her voice when she had answered Reno's call. Driven to distress and anxiety over Cloud's absence then, she had sounded so halfhearted and fatigued, even in spite of her struggles to remain optimistic. Now, in the wake of the events that had transpired seven days ago, her voice had become cheerful and lively once more. It was hard not to be, especially with Cloud back for good.

"Would you mind waiting for it to be delivered? Mr. Strife was off making a local delivery, but he should be back in a day or two… You're fine with that? Okay, great, thanks a lot. Goodbye!"

"'Mr. Strife'? Don't tell me that's how I've been known to my clients all this time."

Slightly startled, Tifa whirled around to face the speaker. Before she had seen him, though, her face had lit up instantly at his voice. "Cloud!"

It was indeed the blond, spiky-haired man who stood on the threshold to the office, leaning against the doorway. From the way he smiled in amusement at Tifa being so easily startled, he seemed to be unable to resist an opportunity to tease her further.

"And don't tell me that the bravest woman I know is suddenly scared of 'Mr. Strife'," he continued with a growing smirk, approaching where she stood by the desk.

"I didn't expect you to be up so early," Tifa retorted, pouting ever so slightly as she added, just to annoy him, "Mr. Strife."

That much was true, though: he had been gone for some deliveries in the Kalm area yesterday. However, Tifa knew she couldn't doubt his efficiency; he had been quick to return, especially nowadays, it seemed. Although he had not stated it himself, it was obvious he felt guilty about having left her, Denzel, and Marlene for so long. After all, it had been with barely any protest that Cloud conceded, on her urging, to take several days off after all the incidents that had occurred last week.

"I was expecting to have some more deliveries to make already." Cloud seemed to have relented, though still was smiling as he examined the order Tifa had written down. "This time it's Gongaga, huh?"

Tifa nodded, but before she remark further on the delivery, she suddenly winced and placed a hand on her abdomen. Despite the healing the Turks had probably done when they had found her and Cloud, the injury she had received from that remnant's pile bunker still pained her at times; there was still a mark from the shock he had dealt too. Only a few moments after the grimace, she felt a hand on her arm, and looked up into Cloud's concerned expression.

"Are you okay, Tifa?"

Smiling ruefully, she nodded again. "Don't worry, Cloud, it's nothing. It'll be better soon… Cloud?"

When she saw him gazing off towards the window, Tifa trailed off, the concern etched that had been so thoroughly on his face now replaced with pensiveness. Even if it had been so characteristic of him before, the fact that she hadn't seen such an expression in a week made her feel uneasy now. Although it was an easy guess as to what was troubling him, Tifa still couldn't be sure.

"What's the matter, Cloud?" she asked him, trying to meet his eyes. There was a long pause from him.

"…Does it feel right, Tifa?" he finally said, glancing back at her to see her inquiring look. "Does it feel right that, after it took so long to defeat Sephiroth before, that we were able to defeat him so quickly this time?"

In the past week, the subject of Sephiroth and his remnants had only been addressed once, when Cloud had later given the full account of everything that had happened after Bahamut SIN had been destroyed, and he had immediately gone afterwards to pursue Kadaj's gang along the highway. Even now, Tifa wasn't so keen to discuss it herself, but she could tell it had been bothering Cloud for quite some time; truthfully, the same went for her.

"It doesn't feel right," Tifa agreed, placing her hand on her arm now that her injury no longer hurt. However, she had already drawn her own conclusions. "But… do you want to know what I think?" Cloud nodded, almost eagerly. "I… think it's because his strength was divided among the three remnants, so even with Jenova cells and the Lifestream he tainted, he couldn't return to full power. Maybe, with all of them gone now… he never can again."

"But…" Skepticism was etched in his voice again. "What if we're supposed to be misled into thinking they're dead?"

Knowing that Cloud had a point, Tifa did not want to answer that question. Such a huge part of her wanted to deny that possibility could exist; now that things had become normal at last, and Cloud was a part of her life again, she longed for things to stay normal. So did, she knew, everyone else. Was it unwise to develop a strong sense of security when it could be so easily undermined?

Nonetheless, her thoughts had not combated for long before her own confident tendencies won over her cynicism. Taking the hand that rested on her shoulder in both of hers, Tifa looked up at him with her smile that radiated her usual optimism.

"But, what if they're not still alive?" she said, with the utmost earnest. "Cloud, we can't go the rest of our lives in paranoia that Sephiroth will attempt another Reunion. I… saw Kadaj die, and that explosion would've easily destroyed the other two. Cloud… Sephiroth is finished, once and for all."

Cloud merely gazed at her, absorbing her words of assurance. This time, though, he looked cheerfully relieved, which was exerted in the smile that reappeared. His azure eyes glanced down at their clasped hands before meeting her dark eyes again.

"You're right, Tifa… After all that, Sephiroth can only be dead for good."

Nothing could brighten Tifa's spirits, already so uplifted in the wake of the past week, any more than what Cloud had admitted. Just to see him smiling in the church, for the first time in what felt like years, had been enough for Tifa. In that instant, Tifa had known he had finally let go of the guilt that had burdened him so heavily the past two years. But, to admit that his nemesis after so long was defeated for good… it just set the seal on the aftermath of last week's events.

Maybe, just maybe, their lives could finally return to normal.

* * *

Kallie and Rika were making surprisingly good time in traversing the path to where she had last encountered the silver-haired man, given they alternated between power-walking and jogging the rest of the way. Along the way, Kallie had come across the pipe that had been her faithful ally last time, and which she once more utilized in fighting off the monsters that crossed their path.

"Man, we'd better be there soon," Rika panted, after they had just fled from two Whole Eaters that had been pursuing them.

Catching her breath again, Kallie glanced around the area, both to see if the Whole Eaters were still after them, and if the two happened to be close to their destination.

"I think we are."

Although the area almost looked no different from the rest of the ruins, Kallie was able to recognize the very spot where she had seen the silver-haired man lying not a week ago. Of course, he was gone now, but she knew he couldn't have wandered far after he'd regained consciousness from her knocking him out. Walking towards the spot, she stood exactly where he had lain when she had first seen him, looking in all directions to see where he might have gone.

"Where do you think he is now?" asked Rika, shielding her eyes from the sun as she glanced around as well.

"Well, I don't think he could've gone far," Kallie surmised, then quietly murmured to herself, "He can't have gotten better by now…"

"Then that has to be it!" Rika suddenly exclaimed, pointing down the path. Looking in the direction she indicated, Kallie saw the church, and smirked at her friend's brilliant conclusion. If there was anyplace he'd go, that would be it. It was safe from the intrusion of monsters, and it had a bountiful supply of water with that pool—surely the perfect refuge for any desperate fugitive.

"And you're probably right," she said. "Let's go!"

Rika, of course, was still terrified at the prospect of coming face-to-face with a deemed dangerous criminal. Not willing to let her friend face him alone, though, she followed dutifully. But, she hadn't taken three steps when, all of a sudden, she gave a squeal of disgust and leapt back. Instantly on guard, Kallie whirled, preparing to beat the crap out of some enemy, though only saw her friend cringing frightfully.

"Sorry." Rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly, Rika gestured toward something at her feet. "I just saw… _this_."

Lying there, at the spot Rika indicated, were the two corpses of the Whole Eaters that Kallie had miraculously managed to kill last week. Not being as squeamish as Rika, Kallie wasn't as disgusted by the sight. But, she didn't view them unfazed either—her eyes were locked on the ashes of the Whole Eater that had somehow been set aflame, a detail Kallie had forgotten in all the turmoil that had transpired.

_How __**did**__ that Whole Eater catch on fire?_ It still remained a question Kallie yearned to answer. There had been no way it could've been her; she didn't own a single materia, after all! Unless there had been some unseen savior on the sidelines, the only other possible person had been the silver-haired man, and that, of course, was as equally as preposterous. Not unless he'd suddenly turned from villain to hero, and that wouldn't happen until hell itself froze over.

"Kallie?"

Snapping back into reality, Kallie shook her head as if to rattle the thoughts from her mind. This was not the appropriate time to be sidetracked by something meaningless, even if it made her burn with curiosity. Not explaining her actions, she turned and began again down the path to the church. Although extremely puzzled, Rika followed without a word, deciding it best not to ask.

Less than a minute later, they were standing at the steps that led into the church. From this standpoint, it was hard to see inside through the door-less frame, but Kallie knew if he were trying to hide himself, he wouldn't be sitting out in the open. Deciding to proceed as quietly as possible, Kallie glanced over at Rika and placed a finger to her lips. Rika nodded, seeming too terrified to speak anyways. Fighting not to let her own fear show, Kallie headed up the steps as furtively as she could and into the church.

* * *

Only a week. Yazoo could not believe only a week had passed since he'd been here.

_It feels like an eternity._

Opening his eyes, he stared back up at the cavernous ceiling of the church, watching the reflected light from the pool dancing across it. At the moment, that was the only sort of movement in the church. Likewise, it was dead silent, and the only sounds he had heard were the occasional twitter of a bird, or the screeching of some monster out in the distance.

Other than that, that was all that ever really took place here, and the aspect of having nothing to do was almost becoming unbearable for him. So badly he wanted to finally step outside, to search for Loz, to just get out of here at last. But after the run-in with the Whole Eaters, he knew it wouldn't be a wise decision, as it proved even they and other similarly weak monsters were a threat to him in his present state.

Heaving a quiet sigh, Yazoo then placed a hand to his side and gingerly pressed, testing again to see how much his broken rib had healed—it was becoming an almost unconscious habit now. As it didn't exactly hurt like hell anymore, he had just decided to try to walk around some more when he heard voices, and then a shriek—undeniably from a human—come from outside.

Grabbing the Velvet Nightmare that lay beside him, Yazoo twisted around where he sat on the pew and stared through the gaping entrance. Here was not a good vantage point, as he could not see far outside, and couldn't see whom the scream belonged to. No more voices sounded, but he soon became aware of faint footsteps approaching in the direction of the church, and he felt a twinge of annoyance. Could he not get some peace and solitude even in here?

No sooner had he heard the footsteps grow closer than the two perpetrators came into sight through the doorway, and with great discontent he recognized the one in the lead. There was no mistaking her, especially with that orange hair, or the awfully familiar pipe in her hand.

_**Her**__ again?_

When Kallie saw him seated on that pew, alive, looking right in her direction, she immediately came to a halt. Having convinced herself all this time that he could be as good as dead by now, she was dumbstruck that, while he was still dirtied and undoubtedly injured, he was also undoubtedly recovering. That was just unsettling; surely without any access to food, he couldn't have gotten better! There was the pool behind him, but even that couldn't be sufficient enough.

To worsen the predicament, there was no doubt that he recognized her, and hadn't easily forgotten what she had done to him. He had his firearm out too, and with that icy stare he fixated her with, Kallie had a feeling she would be lucky if she walked out alive. It was so tempting just to turn and run while she had the chance, but the idea was quickly abandoned. If there was anyone she'd show cowardice in front of, it wouldn't be him!

The same couldn't be said of Rika, though. Just the mere sight of the silver-haired man seemed to frighten her to pieces, shown in the way she so hesitantly walked. When Kallie glanced back out of concern, Rika suddenly seemed unable to endure it any longer. She gave a whine, then backed behind the doorframe and cowered there, shaking her head all the while. Kallie gave her a sympathetic look, which melted into impassiveness as she turned and walked down the aisle towards the man.

At seeing her friend cowering behind the doorframe, Yazoo was impressed that the orange-haired girl had the guts to approach him at all, albeit he could sense her suppressed fear. All the same, there was that same look in her eyes as he had seen before she had given him that blow, and he could only think that her thirst for revenge hadn't been satisfied. That was the only logical reason why she would seek him out again.

Likewise for Yazoo, his own weapon was still clutched in his hand, and as she came closer, he debated whether or not to pull the trigger on her. Even as much as he would love to, there was still the other girl. He could probably kill her too before she had a chance to flee, but, unfortunately, there was the matter of ammunition. The few bullets he had left were not to be wasted—especially not on worthless humans, as he needed them for when he finally got out of this place and didn't want to completely rely on his magic. With no other alternative, Yazoo was resigned to sitting on the pew, waiting for whatever this girl had in mind.

From that enigmatic gaze he retained, Kallie was unable to deduce that he had decided not to kill her or Rika (he hadn't put down the gun yet). She did have a sneaky feeling he could sense her fear, determinedly though she tried to hide it. As she came to about ten feet away from him, he seemed content to merely stare her down with those unnatural eyes, and it was absolutely eerie that he could stay so silent, so… inscrutable.

But, Kallie wasn't about to let that daunt her.

"What have you done with my cousin?" she demanded, stepping forward with purpose.

His response was nothing short of what she expected: he gave her a disdainful look before turning his head away from her. It was nothing short of frustrating either, as she already well knew 'interrogating' him would be plain difficult (the fact that she had struck him unconscious with a pipe a week beforehand wasn't going to help matters much either). She had noted that her abducted cousin, or the kidnapper, were nowhere to be seen, but Kallie was persistent. This man had to know at least one thing about them!

"Hey you, answer me!"

"Leave this place."

Kallie had to blink in surprise at the unexpected reply, even though he barely turned back to her. He spoke in a quiet, silky manner, flat with little emotion, yet the short sentence still had a hard edge to it, clearly annoyed that she was here at all. Of course, she wasn't about to leave anytime soon.

"Fine then." He was only further irritated when she took a seat on a piece of a fallen pillar nearby, propping the pipe up against the rubble. "But, only if you answer my question."

Yazoo only glanced at her briefly to see her gazing intently back at him, like a watchful predator. Unimpressed, he thought back to the question she had presented to him, as he actually remembered who this cousin of hers was—that girl with the moogle doll, who had been so naively duped into believing he and his brothers could have cured her of Geostigma. Even so, it wasn't as if he really had an answer as to whatever had happened to her. He held no interest in keeping track of her cousin; her only purpose for him had been to locate Mother.

"How should I know?"

"I…" And Kallie drew a complete blank. After all, she didn't have a single piece of evidence that he was affiliated with the kidnapper—all she had were her far-fetched hunches. "Well…" Then, she smirked. "Well then, would you happen to know this… guy who carries a sword around? He… looks a lot like you."

Well, the latter part she had completely come up with on a whim; Kallie didn't know at all if he really looked like this silver-haired man, although from what May had told her, his apparent younger brother had had a sword too. But, her fabricated statement had the exact effect she had wanted, as he suddenly turned his head to look at her more directly. The movement had been quite subtle, yet from the disbelief written across his face, he finally exhibited interest in what she had to say.

In truth, Yazoo was only keen to hear about the person she had mentioned. Having never seen this girl in his life before, there was no way she would know that Kadaj had resembled him, or that he had also used a sword. Still… Yazoo had seen him die with his own eyes. What possible way was there for her to meet him now?

_Yet… can it really be?_

"Are you so sure?" queried Yazoo, trying to keep his hopeful elation contained. It was more than foolish to assume that Kadaj could somehow be alive, but he was keen on every possibility.

The orange-haired girl perked an eyebrow, then folded her arms reproachfully, as if the answer was so obviously clear. "Some guy only kidnapped my cousin and knocked me unconscious yesterday. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Despite her initial confidence, Kallie already had a feeling this would be going nowhere. Obviously mulling over what she had said, she saw his eyes lower, with still no change in his expression, and she had to fight the urge to tap her foot impatiently while waiting for his response. After he had been silent for a while, he turned away and settled back against the pew.

"I wouldn't know this person that you speak of."

For him, there was hardly any concrete evidence it could be Kadaj, and without that, Yazoo refused to label this person as his brother. While that person's intentions had been malicious, it didn't sound like something Kadaj would do, as he would have absolutely no reason to bother further with this imbecile's cousin. Besides, there was still the clincher that Kadaj could only be dead, and there was no way he could be resurrected. At least, not in any way Yazoo was aware of.

Kallie, on the other hand, was only aware that her plan had fallen through. She had simply convinced herself so much that she would come here, find her cousin, and make the kidnapper pay for harming her and May. But, even if her deadened hope sunk into her stomach like a stone, Kallie was still relentless in questioning him. He could be lying for the kidnapper's sake, after all.

"So, you're sure you wouldn't know this guy?" Kallie had now stood and was slowly pacing the wooden planks. "Would it help if I—?"

"I've answered your questions," the silver-haired man cut in coolly. He never imagined she could be such a nuisance. "Now leave."

"Did I say I was done yet?" snapped Kallie, bringing her foot down hard as she whirled around to glare at him. "I knew you wouldn't give a damn about my cousin, but you kidnapped her before, and now she's been kidnapped again! A bit much of a _coincidence_, wouldn't you think?"

Now this girl had begun to touch a nerve in him, more or less because of her persistent, unrelenting questions, and that she had directly addressed his crime of foul play. However, he kept the urge to shoot her in check. She was just a human—she wasn't worth the bullet; plus, he didn't want to disclose that she was getting under his skin. All he needed to do was give the answers she wanted, and hopefully she would leave.

"If you want an answer, I will tell you this: your cousin is of no more interest to me, nor to my brothers." Yazoo purposely omitted the fact that they were separated, and Kadaj and Loz were as good as dead. "I would not be affiliated with this person that you speak of."

And there, Kallie's plan collapsed. Her hunch had led her to a dead end after all, with no other clues to be followed. A part of her wanted to keep prodding him for more answers, wanting to believe that he knew more than he was letting on, but Kallie was sensible enough that she knew it would be highly dangerous. She could tell he was becoming increasingly vexed by her continuous questions, and it would be in her best interest to bow to his wishes.

"If that's all you've got to tell me… then, I'll be going now."

With a powerful feeling of defeat hanging over her, she picked up the pipe and walked down the aisle towards the entrance, where she could see Rika still peering around the doorframe. Kallie could feel the man's eyes on her back, obviously making sure she really was leaving, and she was sure she had glimpsed relief sweep across that stony mask of his.

Before Kallie had even reached the entrance, Rika had already taken off down the path, unable to remain so close to the silver-haired man any longer. As cowardly as her friend had seemed, she had good reason to be terrified, and Kallie had to give kudos to her for having stuck around during the 'interrogation'. She also seemed to be disappointed that nothing had come of the trip here, though nowhere near as deflated or discouraged as Kallie felt as they traversed the path back home.

Yazoo remained watching her out of his peripheral vision, until he had seen she and her friend had gone, and he was able to relax his tensed body. As much as he tried not to think back on it, however, his mind was in a whirl from what had just happened. Not only had it been the most eventful thing that had yet to happen after such a week of tedium, the girl's accusation that her cousin's kidnapper was Kadaj had made him reflect more on his dead brothers.

Despite his yearning to search for Loz, the fact that a whole week had passed and Yazoo had seen nothing of his brother, convinced him he could only be dead as well. Loz had an definite higher rate of surviving that explosion than Yazoo had, but if it were that case, he knew they would have been reunited by now. It seemed as though Yazoo would have to carry on Mother's mission on his own after all, and the realization gave him a renewed sense of hopelessness.

_If have to continue the mission alone… it can only end in failure._

* * *

There was an awfully familiar sense of déjà vu as Kallie and Rika returned back to the apartment, as there really was no difference from the last time Kallie had found out May had vanished. The trail that had led into a dead end left her so worn and beaten, physically and mentally; all she felt like doing when she came home was to tumble into bed and hide away from the world. The only hope Kallie had was that Mrs. Eliot had discovered another clue during their absence, and which she anxiously waited to hear as the older woman met them at the door.

"Did… you find anything?" asked Mrs. Eliot tentatively, seeing the girls' crestfallen, weary expressions. From all the anxiety she must have gone through while they had been gone, she almost seemed to have aged a few years more herself.

Just a simple shake of Kallie's head was enough to inform her of the futile mission. Not making eye contact with anyone, she threw herself down on the sofa and began removing her jacket and boots.

"I feel so _stupid_ going out there," she murmured, kicking the boots away. "I should've known he wouldn't tell us anything…"

Mrs. Eliot looked thunderstruck. "You mean… that man was still alive?"

"The hell does it matter? My hunch was wrong. Now I've totally lost the trail. That bastard's… _gone_."

Unwilling to let her distress show through even at a time like this, Kallie kept her mouth shut, merely burying her face in her hands in fighting the urge to sob. Taking a seat beside her, Rika put an arm around her, appearing more empathetic than ever.

"I'm sorry, Kallie. I shouldn't have just stood there like a coward. I… should've done something to help."

Kallie remained unresponsive.

Watching them with a pitying expression, Mrs. Eliot had seemed unsure of how to comfort her. Instead, out of the corner of her eye, Kallie saw her merely meander around the couch, and she expected the older woman to also embrace her.

"Kallie…" she heard her say, but hadn't made a move to touch her benevolently in any way. "There's still hope for May. I know it feels the complete opposite right now, but… there was a delivery for you today. I haven't opened it yet to see what it is, but I believe it's… something that might be a clue to the kidnapper."

Those last words had an instantaneous effect on Kallie.

"What!" Kallie immediately leapt to her feet, thoroughly startling Rika with the sudden action. "You're saying…!"

The sentence was left unfinished as Kallie stared at said delivery: a package, lying on the kitchen table, completely overlooked before. Overcoming her surprise, Rika had also stood as Mrs. Eliot picked up the package and handed it to Kallie. No sooner had she done that, though, than Kallie had grabbed the package from her, much like a greedy child would on their birthday. But, she gave a sudden start, and almost dropped the package.

"The hell? What's in this thing?"

As she had taken it, the package was unexpectedly heavier than Kallie had estimated it to be. Not only that, but an odd metallic clinking had sounded from within the brown paper wrapping. The package in general was strange, as it was rather large in size, and whatever it was inside had the weirdest shape—like a couple of plates. Handling it more carefully, Kallie sat back down on the sofa and began to tear away at the wrapping.

Surrounding her, Rika and Mrs. Eliot watched as the wrapping fell away, but only to reveal that the real object had yet another layer to it: a raggedy length of cloth, held in place by twine. Her curiosity dissolving into impatience, Kallie didn't bother in trying to find the knot, merely ripping the whole length of twine away and unrolling the length of cloth.

And everybody stared at the finally unveiled object, as it this time did drop from Kallie's hands in shock.

"Holy…" she murmured.

Glinting in the sunlight pouring through the window behind them, now lying on Kallie's lap in the cloth, was what were unmistakably a pair of chakrams. Made entirely out of metal, the design was a simple circle, about an inch in width, painted brownish-red on the outside, with a sharpened edge, and band of a tarnished gold color on the inside. The leather-wrapped handle made up its diameter, which was perhaps about eleven inches long. To Kallie, however, the most interesting part of the chakram was that, parallel to the handle and on opposite sides of the circumference, were similarly gold separate parts, with a groove on either side that somehow seemed perfect for catching the blades of opponents…

Still breath-taken by the sight of the weapons, Kallie reached toward one of the chakrams with quivering fingers, her distress seemingly forgotten for the moment. Grasping the middle handle, she carefully lifted it for closer examination. The color was worn away at the edges, and there were quite a few scratches, indicating they had already endured many battles.

"What… Who would…?" sputtered Kallie. "Mrs. Eliot… you say this came in the _mail?_"

Mrs. Eliot gave a nod. "The only thing is that there was no return address, or even anything to say it was addressed to you…"

"But hey, what's this?"

Rika, too, had been completely awed by the weapons, until she suddenly crouched to the ground and picked up the paper that had once wrapped the weapons. Beneath it, unnoticed in Kallie's haste to open the package, was a single slip of regular paper. Almost delicately, Rika picked up the piece of paper and straightened up, her eyes fixed on its contents.

"What does it say?" asked Kallie, placing the chakram back down and putting the pair of weapons in their cloth aside. Standing, she took a look at it as Rika held it out for her to see. Then, the more dire matter at hand swept back into her mind, and she suddenly snatched the note from Rika's note for closer inspection. "Outskirts of Kalm? What the hell?"

Unlike Kallie had first thought when Rika had announced the note, there was no full address on the slip of paper, only the three words, 'Outskirts of Kalm', written in a rather childish handwriting. Nevertheless, the short message was the very thing Kallie had been waiting for all along.

"Finally, I have a lead…" Kallie sunk back down on the couch, rereading the three words over and over again. "So… he's gone to Kalm…"

"Wait a second." Rika also sat back down. "You think the _kidnapper_ left you the package?"

"It's a bit much of a coincidence, don't you think?" But this time, although she had said the exact same thing to the silver-haired man, Kallie knew this couldn't have happened by chance. "Either someone knows about what happened and is helping me anonymously, or…" Her eyes narrowed. "He's _challenging_ me to go after him."

"So… will you accept that challenge, Kallie?"

"I…" But Kallie trailed off when she realized who had spoken, and turned incredulously to Mrs. Eliot. "What?"

It almost seemed as though there was someone different standing in Mrs. Eliot's place. The sympathy she had been expressing before was still there, but it had become mingled with a sternness that was rare of the older woman, especially in a situation like this.

"Are you going to accept this challenge, if it's the only way to reclaim May?"

"I… Of course! I'm not about to abandon May! I'll do whatever it takes to get her back! Plus…" Her eyes closed as she remembered those last moments of her uncle's life. "I can't break the promise I made to Uncle."

Mrs. Eliot nodded and smiled in a recognizable way, which was a relief to see until it vanished again into a solemn look. "Yet, how can you be so sure you'll be ready to face him? If he was able to knock you unconscious before—"

"That was only because I had my guard down," Kallie cut in stubbornly, though she could already see Mrs. Eliot's point. Even if her guard had been up, she still would've been no match against the kidnapper. Although he was apparently younger than her, and even possessed a slim frame that seemed to betray feebleness, he had been easily able to overwhelm her.

For the first time, however, Mrs. Eliot seemed nettled by her interruption. "Kallie, listen to me. It will _not_ do you any good to try and face him by yourself. You might end up getting yourself killed, and how will that help May?"

Coming from someone who was never this severe, the words stung. It was true; Kallie had been planning to challenge the kidnapper alone, no matter the circumstances.

"Then, what do you suggest?" Kallie's tone was nothing short of sarcastic. "Learning to become a black belt in a day or two? Hiring some sort of bodyguard?"

With her expression softening, Mrs. Eliot looked down at the floor. After a few moments' silence, she sighed. "I know you won't like what I'm about to suggest, but… yes, I am saying you should get a bodyguard. Someone who I am sure can assist you."

Kallie scoffed heavily. "_Right._ And where exactly do you suggest I find one?"

This time, Mrs. Eliot's silence was even longer. "The ruins… of Midgar. That man… you sought out only a short while ago."

Predictably, Rika stared at Mrs. Eliot in disbelief at her suggestion, while Kallie stood up so fast she knocked one of the chakrams to the floor. But, what was perhaps so startling was the vehemence in her voice and expression, so great Mrs. Eliot actually took a step back.

"The _hell_, Mrs. Eliot? You're saying I should go running to that bastard for help? That bastard who kidnapped May before?" The slip of paper that was still held in her hand was crumpled as her fingers clenched over it. "How the hell can you suggest him? _Nothing's_ stupider than that!"

It was only after she had uttered that last sentence that Kallie realized she had gone too far, and was able to get a hold of her anger. Shamefully, she put a hand to her forehead and walked a few steps away, her back to her friends.

_Damn it…_

"Kallie…" she heard Mrs. Eliot say. "Kallie… you have good reason to say that."

Starting a little, Kallie looked over her shoulder to see Rika and Mrs. Eliot, both seeming subdued. Never had Kallie felt so abashed about losing her temper; she always had had trouble with keeping her temper in check. The worst was when she took that out on those she cared about, such as now.

"No…" she whispered, turning away again and hanging her head. "No, I didn't… I just…"

"I know. It sounds ridiculous to suggest something like affiliating with a villain, but… we may have no other option. If the kidnapper is as dangerous as we assume, then we need someone equally as strong, which we know of the silver-haired man. Besides… you said you would do whatever it takes to get May back."

"But…"

And yet Kallie found herself considering the option presented to her. Of course, she would have done anything _but_ seek aid from the silver-haired man. Just trying to find somebody to help her, however, might take forever, and Kallie simply didn't have the time to search for a 'bodyguard'. Yet, still…

"Then, how the hell am I going to convince him to help me?"

To Kallie's bewilderment (and Rika's too), a mysterious smile crept across Mrs. Eliot's face. "You're brash, Kallie, but that doesn't mean you're not a smart person. I know something will come to you." Walking out from behind the couch, she at last embraced Kallie in her usual motherly manner. "I wish you the best of luck, Kallie."

With a small nod of her head, she departed, leaving behind a completely silent Kallie and Rika, both mulling over what Mrs. Eliot had said.

"Kallie…" said Rika, finally. "I'm coming with you again, and this time, I won't—"

"No, Rika. Whatever I do, I won't put you in danger again." Kallie then smiled.

"You've already done more than I could have ever hoped for, Rika."

"Are… are you gonna follow Mrs. Eliot's suggestion, then?"

"…I don't know."

And that Kallie pondered for hours afterward. Rika had had to go home, so she was left sitting by herself at the kitchen table, her arms folded and her legs crossed. Sandwich crumbs were scattered on a plate in front of her, having finally gotten an appetite, and Kallie wasn't amazed by how ravenous she had been. Also lying nearby was the note that read, 'Outskirts of Kalm', smoothed out from when Kallie had crumpled it, and the mysterious pair of chakrams she had received, which she had been eying on and off this entire time.

At last, she unfolded her arms and sat forward to pick up the chakram she had been examining beforehand. With curiosity, Kallie ran her fingers down the flat of the blade, and suddenly winced as her thumb brushed against the edge, leaving a small, yet painful, cut. Abruptly putting the chakram back down, she went to fetch a paper towel to stem the flow of blood before applying a band-aid, still surprised by the unexpected sharpness. It made her wonder whether or not the chakrams had always been this sharp, or had possibly been sharpened by the sender. If it were the latter case, then she was convinced it really had been sent by the kidnapper as a challenge. But, there was also the possibility that it was a mysterious helper, who could only help her by sending her a weapon.

_Too bad_, Kallie mused dryly, the paper towel pressed to her wound._ Then I wouldn't have to throw myself at that guy's feet, __**begging**__ for his help._

Kallie just couldn't see how Mrs. Eliot had come to suggest him. Could he be a powerful ally? Maybe, barring the difficulty of convincing him to help her, as any relationship between them would be anything but friendly. Mrs. Eliot might have said before she was a smart person and could figure out something, but Kallie doubted even a genius would be able to come up with anything.

Did she really have any other option, though? Kallie was more than willing to face the kidnapper alone, though Mrs. Eliot's words continued to haunt her: _'You might end up getting yourself killed, and how will that help May?'_ Considering how easily he had been able to incapacitate her, Kallie knew facing him alone would be suicide, even if her guard were up. Affiliating herself with the silver-haired man, however, would most likely be as equally suicidal.

_Am I really __**that**__ desperate to rescue May?_

As she bandaged the cut after it had stopped bleeding so profusely, Kallie found herself staring out the glass door, out towards the ruins of Midgar. Never drawing her eyes away, she stepped up close to the glass, placing her arms and forehead against its cool surface as she sighed. So, what was it going to be? Approach the silver-haired man and hope to join forces with him? Or, chase after the kidnapper alone and get herself killed?

'_You said you would do whatever it takes to get May back.'_

And then, Kallie's brow furrowed into a determined glare.

* * *

Yet another day was coming to an end, a day that had been about as fruitful for Yazoo as yesterday had been. His head rested in his hand, his elbow resting on the pew's armrest. His mind had settled a little from the disruption that nuisance of a girl had caused, but that and the beginning of dehydration had led him to a headache he couldn't shake. There was nothing meaningful for him to revel over, only the depressing thoughts about the mission, and his brothers.

Rubbing his eyes with a sigh, he grew aware of how droopy his eyelids were becoming. Yazoo hadn't known fatigue like this for a while, as he had been resting most of the time throughout the week. Just for anything to pass the time, however, he was willing to let sleep overcome him. Depending on when he would wake up, he decided, he would wait until dawn, and then finally get out of this place. He knew he was most likely to injure himself more in the outside world, but he had been staying here for far too long.

Shifting himself into a more comfortable position (as comfortable as he could get on this pew), he put his head down and closed his eyes. It was immensely uncomfortable, but it wouldn't be a problem, as he had already been hardened to these sorts of things. As he had hoped, his fatigue eventually claimed him, and his conscience began to drift off.

What indicated that he really had fallen asleep were the footsteps that his ears gradually registered. Yazoo knew he must be dreaming of the disruption earlier that day, and it was anything but pleasing to realize that. Still, then at least he could shoot her dead before she had a chance to say anything. But, there was that chance he was deprived of his weapon, as dreams had that awful penchant of doing. That was when it became a nightmare.

Yet, the clearer and clearer the footsteps became, the more and more he realized he hadn't fallen asleep yet.

Irritably opening his eyes, Yazoo lifted his head back up, but did not turn around. He did not want to see that he was to be intruded on yet again. Rather, he listened more intently, to see if he really had been dreaming. But, his ears were correct. There was definitely somebody coming down the path, as he could hear pebbles and dirt being crushed underfoot. It was definitely only one person, and Yazoo became bewildered as to who it could be. However, he already had a strong suspicion.

His suspicion was correct.

When the footsteps sounded on the wooden floorboards, he reluctantly twisted around to confirm who he thought it would be. Sure enough, there walked in the orange-haired girl, steel-faced and definitely alone. But, as forced as it undoubtedly was, there was a more submissive, rather than defiant, air about her. Nonetheless, the fact that she had sought him out again had made him even more annoyed by her presence.

"Why are you here again?" Yazoo inquired of her, leveling his gaze to a few degrees short of a glare.

She did not answer him until she had stopped a couple of yards away from him, and it was at that distance that he could clearly see the suppressed distaste and hatred in her eyes. It was from that distance that he also saw a chakram hanging at her side, though he only gave it an aloof glance. He heard her take a deep breath, as if not to give an angry response, and then answered him:

"I want you to hear me out. I need your help… to rescue my cousin."

Kallie had been trying to appear submissive so as not to annoy him so much, but she might as well have come in here imitating a chocobo. She tried to appear patient as she folded her arms, determinedly keeping her eyes locked on him. As she had guessed he would react before, he merely gave a slight scoff.

"First of all, what makes you think I would ever consider helping someone like you?" _This girl can't be serious._

His response was just as Kallie had imagined it would be; he might have burst out laughing had she gone any further. Convincing him would be just as difficult as she had foreseen it.

"Sounds stupid, yeah, but I can't do this on my own. If you say you'll help me, then…" Kallie had to breathe in deeply again before she continued. "I'll help you."

There, Yazoo would have actually guffawed had it not been an action so uncharacteristic of him. Yet, although he did scoff coldly again… he found himself considering the offer. Her situation did not seem unlike his: she wouldn't go rescue her cousin by herself, like he was only willing to carry on Mother's mission alone as a last resort.

As if able to sense he was actually taking it into account, the girl pressed on. "You can stay at my place while you… recover. I can give you whatever you need. In return, I just need you to help rescue my cousin. We might only have to go as far as Kalm anyway."

Now, he was truly beginning to bear the offer in mind. This girl was actually offering a possible sanctuary for him, a place to lie low, for the duration of his recovery. The only thing, though, was that the situation was not to his favor. Yazoo could only imagine how much his brothers, dead or not, would deride him for having to seek aid from a mere girl, and an irritating one at that. If she were to accompany him, all she would do, most likely, was slow him down and get in his way.

Yet… wasn't the completion of Mother's mission important above all else?

A while passed as Kallie waited for his response, watching the expressionless face for any disturbance that would give away his decision. Staring off into space, his eerie eyes didn't seem to be focused on anything in particular. She wasn't sure whether she would be joyous that she would have someone to aid in rescuing May, or slit her own throat with her chakram just to save herself the trouble. Only the thought of May's rescue kept Kallie standing there.

Another minute or so passed in silence, Yazoo still contemplating, Kallie still waiting. Finally, just when her impatience was about to get the better of her, she saw him move again at last. His eerie, feline eyes flicked back to her, followed by the turning of his head. Unexpectedly, her heart gave a thud—it was now or never that she would learn of his decision, and if her ruse was going to work out after all. All he uttered were two words:

"I accept."

* * *

As the sun sunk lower towards the horizon, the golden-lit ruins strongly reminded Loz of when he had last seen his brothers, when their mission had fallen through. This he watched while he sat on a piece of rubble, resting after nearly a full day of endless searching.

Yesterday, when he had made his second attempt to walk, Loz had found the injury easier to overcome than he had thought, though he still proceeded with a limp. Upon inspection, he had discovered it was a rather nasty gash along his thigh, which had puzzled him as to how an explosion could deal such a wound. If he had somehow fallen all the way down from the top of the Shinra building, though, that was a possible explanation. Otherwise, he was in decent enough health, no doubt due to his robust nature.

In regards as to how he had managed to survive the explosion so easily, Loz could not help but wonder if the same had gone with Yazoo. His brother was strong in body too, though nowhere near as strong as Loz, and his chances of enduring such an explosion were even slimmer. If he had survived at all, then he would most likely be in serious, critical condition.

The minute he found he could walk, Loz had begun to search for Yazoo. Seeing that he was nowhere near the Shinra building anymore, he was bewildered as to how he could have ended up so far away, and he knew it would only make his search more difficult. Barely resting, he had searched through the night, until his leg hurt so much it couldn't support his weight anymore, such as now.

Even during all that time, however, he had probably covered only a sparse amount of Midgar. Not only was the ruined city enormous, it hardly helped that access to certain areas were blocked or completely buried due to the rubble. There was no knowing where Yazoo could have ended up, as he had been nowhere in the vicinity where Loz had woken up. Finally, with nearly an entire day of searching that had yielded nothing, he had called it quits. Already, he had begun to lose hope.

With frustration and exhaustion catching up on him, Loz could feel tears threatening to overcome him, as it usually happened in times like these. Rubbing his eyes with one hand, he became aware of the absence of Dual Hound's weight on his left arm, and anger boiled up inside of him when he remembered Brother was responsible for its loss. No… Brother was responsible for everything. For Kadaj's death. For why he was separated from Yazoo. For why they weren't with Mother. The list was endless.

Suddenly bringing his fist down on the rubble, so hard pieces went flying everywhere and a large chunk fell off, Loz glowered up towards the dusky sky. A muscle trembled slightly around the corner of his mouth, and he felt something moist trickle down his cheek. This time, he did not bother to wipe it away. It was so desolate, quiet, and lonely out here… no one would know he cried. For once, he truly needed to let his emotions take control.

He buried his face in his hands, and audibly wept.


	6. A Fleeting Sanctuary

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 6**

_A Fleeting Sanctuary_

To Kallie, as she led Yazoo back to her apartment, it was somewhat of a miracle that she had made it through Edge while avoiding attracting too much attention, and Yazoo himself thought so too. His appearance in general would be enough to draw the eyes of anyone, regardless if they had seen the vague photograph of him. (Yazoo had a feeling something of the sort was circulating around.) True, Kallie led him mainly through backstreets where there were less people, and they took measures to keep out of sight whenever someone else was around, but there were still those few who saw them and gave more than a passing glance.

After the fifth passer-by had spotted them and quickly shuffled off, almost fearfully, Yazoo gave a hard look at the orange-haired girl's back. If she was so willing to help him, then she could at least choose a less obtrusive path. He did not fear being apprehended, as Edge lacked a law force after Shinra's fall, but if anyone recognized him, they would surely raise an alarm.

_At least she hasn't done that._

A large part of Yazoo still hadn't quite absorbed that he had agreed to the girl's offer. 'I accept'—had he seriously said that? It was a bit late now to turn back, and he had gladly taken any opportunity to be out of that church. Besides, that small part of him believed this could be for the better. He might as well choose the first alternative presented to him, as it could be the only beneficial one.

"We're here," came the girl's voice.

Turning to see if he had heard her, Kallie saw him looking past her up at the apartment building. His hand rested on his side, something she had noted him doing on and off the whole trip, along with a wince of pain, and she figured he must have an injury there. Having thought she might as well begin helping him right away, she had asked if he would need aid in walking. Predictably ignoring her, he had risen from the pew and began walking without any assistance.

Frankly, Kallie was utterly relieved by his silent refusal. The only way she could have assisted him was if she had let him lean on her… She would have rather thrown herself into a pit of Whole Eaters than support him like that! Furthermore, the more pain he endured, the happier she became.

Glancing up and down the street, as she had been doing the entire trip, and gladly noting it was devoid even of stray animals, Kallie led him up the fire escape that connected to her apartment. Thanks to the broken glass door, there would be no trouble in entering from the outside. All Kallie had to do was punch a hole in the plastic to be able to unlock the door.

_I really need to get this repaired. Dunno why I even bothered to lock it._ Certain the silver-haired man must be wondering about the plastic-covered door, Kallie turned towards him with a rueful smile. "Lovely, isn't it? This is how the kidnapper broke into my apartment."

_Is such information necessary?_ Yazoo wasn't sure if that remark was meant to accomplish anything—it certainly hadn't with him. Watching her tug aside the door, he could ascertain more sass from her would definitely come his way. But, no matter how nice or sweet she could be to him, he would dislike her as much anyhow.

Following the orange-haired girl inside, he didn't need much light to see the interior, though there really wasn't much to see. Every space in the apartment was tiny, with furniture that looked almost disproportionately large in comparison. It was neat and well kept, he would give it that. Snapping on the lights, the girl reached back past him to shut the door behind him, and then positioned herself in front of him.

"All right, then." She gestured at the space around them. "This is the kitchen, obviously." She pointed out an open door that connected directly to the kitchen. "That's my bedroom." She indicated the area beyond the kitchen that contained a couch and television. "That's the living room, and…"

Backing up into the living room, she pointed at a room hidden around a corner. "There's the bedroom where you'll be staying, and the bathroom is right next to it. I'll change the sheets while you take a shower—you seriously need it, you know. Oh, and I'll make some dinner too. You've gotta be starving."

Striding back into the kitchen, she opened up a cupboard and took out a small white chest labeled 'First-Aid Kit'.

"And here's the first-aid kit. Looks like you could really use it. Now…" She conjured a kindly expression that could only be forced. "If there's anything I can help with, I—"

"That won't be necessary," interrupted Yazoo coldly.

The kindness evaporated. "All right, then." Walking up to him, she shoved the white chest rather aggressively into his hands. "There ya go. Have a blast."

With slightly narrowed eyes, Yazoo watched as she went into her bedroom and shut the door with a slam. Perhaps he would have to change his mind a little: he might dislike her less if she was nicer to him. Despite her hospitality, she obviously wasn't afraid to be impolite too. But… if there was anything she was right about, he wanted to be rid of all this grime.

Placing the first-aid kit on the counter, for he saw no use in it, he headed to where she had indicated the bathroom and bedroom were. Removing his boots, he placed them inside the doorway of the bedroom and walked into the bathroom. Flipping the light switch, he almost started at what met his eyes.

It was only his reflection in the mirror, but he could barely recognize himself. His whole body was covered with dust, dirt, blood, and more kinds of grime than he cared to name. On his face and upper neck where the only skin showed, only patches of the fair color could be seen. His leather uniform hadn't escaped unharmed either—there were numerous tears and burns all over it. Wondering if he looked as bad beneath his jacket, Yazoo stripped off his gloves, unfastened the gun harness and dropped it to the floor, then began to unzip the leather garment.

"Here ya go."

Flinching irritably at the intrusion, he looked over his shoulder to see the orange-haired girl standing there, a bundle of towels in her arms. The chakram she had worn was gone, and she had removed her jacket and boots as well.

More politely than before, she held the bundle out to him. "You get your own towels too."

Without any signs of gratitude, he silently took the towels from her and shut the door in her face. Unsurprised, already irked at having seen he had left the first-aid kit on the counter, Kallie made a rude gesture at the door before heading into the bedroom. She hadn't gotten far, though, when her foot suddenly caught on something, and she let out a cry as she half-stumbled, half-fell, inside.

Grumbling curses into the carpet, Kallie pushed herself upright and twisted around to see what she had tripped over. When she spotted black leather boots that she recognized as the silver-haired man's, she instantly added him into her swears. Getting to her feet, she put them aside where she wouldn't be likely to trip over them again, then hit the light switch to the room—her Uncle's former bedroom.

For a long time after Uncle Neil's death, it had been hard for Kallie and May to come near what had once been his room. Every time the Bradford cousins had, the image of the dying man would swim before their eyes, clear like it had only been yesterday. The sensation had lessoned as time had gone by, yet as Kallie stood there now, she could distinctively see him lying there again.

Shaking the mirage from her vision, Kallie picked apart the sheets on the bed to see if they needed changing. The last time had been a few days after Uncle's death, though Kallie wasn't sure why she had bothered, even if they had been stained with Geostigma pus. No one new was going to be taking up residence here anytime soon, so there shouldn't have even been any point in putting on new sheets. It had felt… natural, she supposed, like he would still come and sleep here. At least, in spirit.

_Don't be ridiculous_, she chided herself. _Ghosts were only made up to scare little misbehaving twerps._

Nevertheless, it was now impossible not to relive that moment: she and May watching his final struggle with death, making the promise to him before he passed on. Respectfully, Kallie knelt exactly where she had been beside the bed. Just like she had when she had spoken, 'we promise', her hand squeezed the sheets where Uncle's hand had been. More than ever, she wished he would be alive and well again. Even with Geostigma, he had been the strongest man Kallie had ever known; he could have easily helped her save May.

_Then, I'd never have to affiliate with that **creep**._

As he disrupted her reminiscence, her expression instantly darkened. Straightening up, Kallie fixed the sheets with no intention of changing them. Even if she was helping him, there was no need to go out on a limb for the man. As for letting him stay in here, Kallie hoped the room would turn out to be haunted by Uncle's spirit; the creep would be at least deprived of sleep.

A smirk replacing her dark expression, Kallie strode out of the room to prepare some dinner for herself and her so-called 'guest'.

Back inside the bathroom, Yazoo had placed the stack of towels atop of the toilet after having shut the door on the girl. Picking up where he had left off before her intrusion, he undid the rest of the lengthy zipper and pulled back the leather. He didn't have to open it far, however, to see the full extent of his injuries. Already, he could perceive that his torso was mottled with bruises and patches of dried blood. Where he knew his broken rib or ribs to be, the bruising was the worst.

Although slightly perturbed by his appearance, he was nonetheless glad to see his injuries weren't as severe as he had supposed. The same held true for the rest of Yazoo's upper body as he pulled off the jacket entirely, letting it drop to the floor next to his gun harness. That observation, though, only made him feel even filthier than before, and he found himself eying the shower stall. But, upon noticing a stack of cups sitting near the sink, his parched throat suddenly cried out, loud and clear, to him. He only too gladly conceded.

Snatching up one of the cups, Yazoo wasted no time in filling it almost to the brim with water from the faucet and placing it to his lips. Although the liquid was lukewarm, water had never tasted so good. He lost count of how many times he refilled and drained it, but it was enough that he finally quenched the weeklong thirst.

Dropping the cup on the vanity, he then cupped his hands into the still running water and began to splash it all over his face, feeling the dirt and blood coming off on his hands. After drying his face with a washcloth from the pile of towels, he found he had stained it with gray and red, the same colors splattered in the basin. Looking at his reflection again, it was a relief to see that at least his face was washed free of the grime. With a last glance, he leaned into the shower to turn the knob.

Wholeheartedly, Yazoo hated to admit it, but he had to thank the orange-haired girl for at least saving his hygiene.

As Kallie perused through the cupboard in the kitchen, debating what to make for dinner, she heard the shower start. Hoping he would take as long as possible, despite the possible added cost to her water bill, she finally decided on cooking pasta and brought down a box full. Only fifteen minutes through, just as the pasta was almost done, she heard the sounds of the shower stop. Still attending to the pasta, Kallie did not think too much about it for a few minutes, until the dreaded thought suddenly struck her that, because she would be repairing his jacket later, he might want a change of clothes. She stood frozen, pondering, in front of the stove, her eyes still on the slightly bubbling pot. Then, turning the heat down on the stove, Kallie scurried into Uncle's bedroom.

Disbelieving that she was doing this, she opened up the chest of drawers and peered in, where Uncle's clothes were neatly folded. Deciding what to do with Uncle's wardrobe had been another ordeal after his death, and finally the Bradford cousins had realized they couldn't bring themselves to dispose of it. On hindsight in this hurried moment, Kallie wished they had. First giving the creep Uncle's bedroom, and then his clothes? How much more disrespect could she show him?

But, as she was wondering if she really should, Kallie heard the bathroom door open, and she instantly twisted around. Mere seconds later, the silver-haired man walked into the bedroom, and stopped abruptly in his tracks when he spotted her. His wet hair clung lankly, but cleanly, around his face; he was also only dressed in pants, which were black leather and damaged like everything else he owned. That long jacket of his was strung over one arm, the rest of his equipment clutched in his hands.

Like deer caught in headlights, the two simply stared each other down for a few moments. Then Kallie, frozen in place, quickly made to break the silence.

"Ah, I forgot," she sputtered, hurriedly rummaging through the drawer again. "You'll get a change of clothes too. That jacket of yours is pretty beat up, so how about letting me repair it?" Grabbing a few of the larger long-sleeved shirts, she spun back around and plopped them onto the bed. "Here, I hope these'll fit."

In the next instant, he stepped back from the doorway to let her stride past him, and she didn't glance back as she hastened to turn the stove off, hearing the bedroom door slam behind her. While she dumped the contents of the pot into a colander and let it drain in the sink, she berated herself for having lost her cool like that in front of him. Even if she didn't exactly see half-unclothed men on a daily basis, they never ruffled her that much anyways. Still, from what she had glimpsed of him, even amidst all those numerous bruises, they weren't usually that lean either.

_Damn it. Trust **him** to have a six-pack._

Fighting down a flush, she put all of her concentration into preparing the meal and to get her mind off what had occurred. Five minutes later, just as she was taking a set of bowls and cups down from the cupboard, she heard the bedroom door open again. The man walked out, still dressed in the leather pants, but now also clad in one of the shirts (the darkest of the selection, she noted); Kallie wasn't particularly happy to see that it didn't fit him badly either.

Resentment began to rise again in her heart, though that helped to regain her composure as she placed the dinner on the table and sat down. All the while as he took a seat himself across from her, he seemed careful to avoid looking at her. Although she well knew it was more than likely a heightened disdain towards her, she amusedly toyed with the flimsy idea that he might actually feel embarrassed about the incident too as she dug her fork into her pasta.

Kallie could fiddle with that idea as much as she wanted, but her first assumption was slightly more accurate: though he really couldn't have cared less that she had caught him in the middle of dressing, his persisting disdain for her kept him from fully appreciating the change of clothes she had provided. The same went for the meal, even as good as it looked and smelled. As his thirst had been so suddenly reawakened by the water, he nearly cringed when his stomach gave a growl, and no longer could he resist the food sitting right in front of him.

Picking up the fork, he stabbed a few pieces of pasta and took a bite. Although Yazoo knew what pasta was, he had never had it before, since whenever he and his brothers had needed to eat, their diet had been comprised mainly of simple, sparing meals. Thus, the dish was pretty delicious as he continued to eat, a little more greedily than usual.

Personally, Kallie was a little surprised that he was actually eating what she had cooked. Of course, she well knew it was probably only because he had been deprived of food for a week, unless he had been living off rats or something. But, she knew even as desperate as he might have been, he seemed too… proper to resort to something so disgusting. From the way he had appeared so affronted when she had caught him half-dressed, Kallie had easily deduced he must have a vain streak of some kind.

When Kallie had first seen him at the base of the monument, she had truthfully mistaken him to be female, but… that wasn't exactly hard to do. Nearly his entire appearance was nothing short of feminine, predominantly his face and his hair that reached midway down his back—even his mannerisms were vaguely feminine. The only really masculine thing about him was his stature and overall physique, but hell, he still had a nicer looking figure than she did.

The observations made her twitch with jealousy a little; perhaps she embraced her tomboy tendencies and boyish looks, although it was still rather disheartening that she would be less womanly than a guy. That bitter thought alone intensified her begrudged feelings against him, and the longer she let it simmer as she tried to finish her dinner, the more her appetite began to slip away. Eventually, it was enough to make her realize that she couldn't eat with this repulsive man in front of her—she just couldn't.

Chewing laboriously, she stared down at the bowl for a long moment, and then abruptly stood up from the table. Glancing her way, Yazoo watched with disinterest as she collected her fork and walked over to the sink. She opened up a cabinet underneath to reveal a trash bin, into which she scraped out the pasta before placing her dishes on the counter, and then headed towards her bedroom. Relieved to have some privacy while he ate, Yazoo was about to return his attention to his pasta when the girl abruptly stopped in her tracks.

"Hey you."

She had paused on the threshold of her room, leaning against the doorframe. He only looked at her, annoyed.

"How about me repairing that jacket of yours now?" The resentment and disconcert remained in her voice, and it wasn't difficult to ascertain the reason for her abrupt departure from the table.

Only nodding slightly, he returned to his dinner. He heard an agitated sigh, then the sound of her footsteps back across the linoleum floor as she headed towards the bedroom he would be staying in. Wondering again and again how she had ever duped herself into being so charitable, she walked into Uncle's bedroom and spotted the man's jacket lying on the bed. After placing the shirts he hadn't selected back in the dresser, Kallie sat down on the bed and pulled the jacket onto her lap.

Her first impression as she examined the weird garment was that it was expertly and intricately made, and obviously came from some top-notch manufacturer. It also was so well made that it was tough enough to survive whatever mill it had been put through. The leather was dirtied, torn, and singed, holding an acrid smell like ashes.

Although perplexed as to what ordeal the silver-haired creep had endured, dislike bubbled back up inside Kallie when she realized how problematic this was. Leather wasn't just a plain _bitch_ to clean—it was even more of a bitch to repair. To make everything worse, the entire suit was made of it.

_It just **had** to be leather, didn't it?_

With another nettled exhale, she scooped up the jacket and carried it into the living room, where she placed it on the couch. As she fetched her sewing kit, Kallie noted that the man had gotten second helpings. She didn't fail to catch him glancing her way either as she placed the jacket back on her lap, and began the tedious repair job.

There was utter, tense silence for a long while in the apartment, so thick Kallie might have been able to cleave it in two with her chakrams. She barely moved from the couch in her diligence, while Yazoo remained seated behind her at the kitchen table, finally satiated. He sat quite still as well, staring out the glass door that was directly opposite from him, the plastic-covered one flapping in an occasional breeze.

Well over an hour must have passed since he had been here, as Yazoo noted the clock in the kitchen read eight thirty. It was now completely dark outside, and the moon was nowhere in sight, although its faint rays still lit the city outside. The ruins of Midgar were just scarcely visible in the distance, and that was where his thoughts currently resided.

_Loz…_

If Yazoo could have chosen between being stuck here with an insolent girl, or being stuck still in Midgar with his brother, he would have picked the latter in a heartbeat. The girl had supplied him with food, shelter, and the means to clean himself; she was even mending his jacket. But, were Loz at his side, Yazoo would have felt far more positive about this mission.

Although the girl had offered to aid him in whatever he needed, she would be more of a hindrance than anything else. She might own an actual weapon now, and she certainly had the ferocity suitable of a warrior, but her fighting skills were a long shot from competent. He had seen how easily she tired after fighting a few Whole Eaters, the easiest monsters one could encounter. In a battle, there was nothing significant about her.

Except, how she had slain that last Whole Eater.

Especially after what had followed afterwards, Yazoo had forgotten completely about the mysterious combustion of the monster, and now fathomed who could have been responsible. He had a Fire materia equipped, but wouldn't have been able to tap into it at the time—his magic had been nearly completely drained. The little girl with the moogle doll was certainly out of the question, leaving yet again the orange-haired girl as the only potential suspect.

Bewildered with his conclusion, he twisted around slightly to stare at the back of the girl's head. There was nothing much to analyze from here, save that orange-colored plait that was almost as long as his own hair. Even if she were staring him in the face, though, he wouldn't have found anything of interest anyway; she was as plain as any human could get.

As he continued to scrutinize her, Yazoo gradually became aware that his eyelids were feeling rather heavy. His body was contented to finally be appeased with substantial food and the comforts that came with a proper home. Now, he found the only thing he truly wanted was rest on a proper bed; he didn't want to dwell on this girl any longer.

Rising from the chair, he left behind the dishes for her to care of. Passing by the girl without a word, only glancing back to check on her progress, Yazoo disappeared into the bedroom and, shutting the door behind him, switched off the light. Able to find his way deftly in the darkness, Yazoo sat down on the bed, stretched out carefully, and laid down atop of the covers.

This was only the first time in his short life that he had actually slept in a real bed, as there really hadn't been any need whatsoever for beds during their journey. They didn't have to sleep as much as ordinary humans did, for one thing, and the few times that they did need to stop for a rest, often it was a brief doze on the hard ground. By far, this would probably be the most comfortable sleep he had had yet.

So focused on the patch job, Kallie had been completely oblivious that the silver-haired man had finally looked her way. She was only glad that she had an excuse not to pay any attention to him, as his jacket was starting to piss her off a little more by the minute. If she were to stitch up every tear, she would probably be sitting here until next year. Thus, she concentrated solely on the largest rips, as the smaller ones were less noticeable.

When the man had seemingly retired to bed, Kallie decided to move her work to the kitchen table, where it would be much easier to sew the jacket. It was then that she spotted the creep's dishes still sitting on the table, and her temper worsened. Rather hostilely, she snatched them up and fairly slammed them down in the sink, which made a loud sound in itself. Not caring if it awoke him, she merely returned to her work in an increasingly irked state.

Although she was unsure why, Kallie persisted onward, even when she felt her own eyelids begin to droop. It was only as she vaguely mused upon it that she realized it was to please him, to make him want to help her in return. Even though he was the last person in the world that she wanted to ally with, it was solely May who made her submit to the situation. Hopefully, it would turn out to be for the better—much better than things were now, anyway.

The kitchen clock ticked on as she persevered, determined to repair the majority of it before turning in. The one thing that was satisfying was that the jacket was already starting to look better, even if it could never be the same again, as there was nothing she could do about the charred spots. In spite of that, her handiwork became gradually more wearisome, and sleep became even more irresistible.

_No…_ she tiredly reprimanded herself, forcing herself to do another stitch. _I can't… fall asleep now… There's still so much… to be done._

But, Kallie paused, staring down at the leather, which slid in and out of focus.

_All right… maybe just a little break…_

With that, she finished the stitch and stuck the needle into a pincushion. Putting her head down on her arms, right atop of the leather, she was out cold within seconds.

* * *

Had it not been for the full moon shining above, it probably would have been the blackest of nights. Stealthily, Kallie crept along the earthen path that led towards the church in Midgar, endeavoring not to accidentally strike a stone with her foot. Every muscle in her body was tensed; her chakrams were clutched in ready hands. Although she was unsure how she had ended up here, her mind was fixated on a single, sole objection: to find if the kidnapper truly was here. She wasn't willing to give up yet.

Much more quickly than usual, she reached the church in the former Sector 5 of the slums. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, and it was a miracle that the sound wasn't so loud that it would attract all the Whole Eaters in the area. And, as she neared the church, the heartbeats rose to a crescendo within her. There, standing upon the steps with his back to her, was the kidnapper.

"_You!_"

Certain she had caught a faint chuckle, the young man turned about slowly. Despite the bright illumination from the moon, his appearance was just as shadowy as it had been when she had first seen him outside her apartment. Yet, it was as clear to her as daylight he again bore that conceited, disdainful smirk, and it sickened her to the core.

"You'll _pay_ for touching my cousin, you creep!" she yelled at him, and then charged like a Behemoth rendered senseless.

Over the pounding of her footfalls, she heard him laugh once more. Then, she saw him draw his sword in a flash of moonlight, and with lightning speed easily covered the gap between them. Screeching to a halt, she chucked one of the chakrams at him, in spite of the fact she lacked the proper technique. The inability cost her, for he merely leaned out of the way and let it whiz by him, and then made his swift move.

Out of wild impulse, she raised her remaining chakram and felt a brief rush of victory as the blade met with his in a parry. It was short-lived, however, as he effortlessly overpowered her and just as easily whacked that chakram from her hand using the pommel of his sword. Kallie was barely given enough time to recover when his free fist suddenly jutted out, striking her across the jaw and sending her reeling to the ground.

Frantically, she glanced about for her weapons, but they were far out of her reach. By the time she would have regained them, it would be too late. Once again, Kallie was rendered helpless before the kidnapper as he raised his blade, glinting in the radiant moonlight. With no chance to scramble out of the way, she raised an arm in protective instinct, steeling herself in that little space of time for her doom.

Oddly enough, it never came. At least, she didn't think it had.

A blinding white light suddenly consumed her sight, so bright Kallie was sure she must have gone blind, even if she had instantly shut her eyes. The brightness was accompanied by a strange sensation, like she had just gotten sucked into a wind tunnel, though it was very brief. For a few long moments, Kallie lay there, her arm still raised, still expecting the deadly blade to sever the limb off. When those moments passed, and still nothing had happened, she chanced to open her eyes again.

It perhaps wouldn't have mattered, as she could see nothing but white. It was extremely disorienting, like being inside a completely white room where there was no distinction between wall, floor, or ceiling. Was this what being blind was truly like, maybe? But no… Kallie could see her arm lowering as she carefully got to her feet, surveying these enigmatic surroundings. Was she dead? Had she been spared feeling pain before her death?

**Curious, is it not?**

At once, Kallie wheeled around in a circle, bewildered, attempting to spy who had spoken. But, not only was she unable to perceive anyone in the whiteness, the voice—which definitely belonged to a male—seemed to have echoed and resonated from every direction.

"Who are you!" Kallie shouted into the white expanse, her fists clenching in preparation for some sort of attack or trap. "Where am I?"

**Calm yourself. You are safe here… for now.**

Huffing, she folded her arms in indignation and shifted some of her weight to one foot. "Fine. Then at least tell me who you are."

**Kalina…** Instantly, she became more disturbed that this person knew her true name that she never went by. **I am here to forewarn you. Things will be about to change in your life, and there is no stopping this tide that is about to overwhelm you.**

Kallie gave an exasperated sigh. _Cut the crap already…_

The voice seemed to be irritated in return, as if she had stated her impatience aloud. **Kalina**, it said, **You must accept where this flood will take you. You cannot fight it. The changes have already begun. If truth be told… they began a long time ago.**

"Then, at least tell me what's going to happen. You said you came to _'forewarn'_ me."

**Them…** The one word seemed to resound above all else the voice had said thus far. **Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo… they can help reclaim what you have lost. And… discover more than what you are searching for. Far, far more.**

Kallie's folded arms instantly slipped out of place as her jaw dropped slightly.

_May…_

Without hesitation, she shouted again into the whiteness, more in desperation than anything else. "Tell me! Please, tell me more!"

**Trust them.**

"Tell me!"

She never heard if the voice would respond to her, although Kallie did distinctly glimpse something out of the corner of her eye—something other than white light. Whirling around as fast as possible, the next happening was unexpected.

As swiftly as it had before, the bright light vanished from around her, sending her into sudden darkness that blinded her just as much as the light had. It was as if she had never been there, for she was soon confronted with the sight of the kidnapper right before her. And, as before, she had no time to dodge out of harm's way as his blade flashed towards her neck, the most malicious of smirks on his face.

Something like a gasp escaped Kallie as she was jolted to awareness again, her eyelids flying open. It took a few moments to be rid of her grogginess, but she soon discerned that the kidnapper was nowhere in sight, and she was still in her apartment. In fact, she still rested atop the leather jacket that she had been repairing, which she discovered hadn't been the smartest idea; her neck and spine were incredibly stiff as she tried to sit up.

When she finally managed to pull herself upright, carefully stretching as she did so, she was shocked to glimpse the first light of dawn creeping over Edge. Hurriedly looking at the clock, she received another shock at seeing it was nearing six A. M. She had been asleep for _that_ long? No wonder she was so stiff. Well, there went another morning for her to sleep in.

Cursing the silver-haired man for her lack of sleep, Kallie gingerly rose from her chair and went to change her clothes, then made a trip to the bathroom. While she brushed her teeth, she strained to hear if her 'guest' had awoken yet, and cursed him yet again when she realized otherwise. So, he was getting a better amount of sleep than she was. It upset her that his room wasn't haunted after all.

Further annoyed as she left the bathroom, she paused to stare at the door to Uncle's room, pondering what to do next. Kallie wanted to pick up her mail from yesterday, since for some reason Mrs. Eliot hadn't given her anything other than the package—she usually received much more than that. It seemed unnecessary, yet this could be one of the last times she was able to do so, besides which she had been expecting an important letter for a while now. But, she hesitated, in worry of leaving him alone here, as there was no telling what he might do. What if he abandoned her while she was away?

Kallie debated for about a minute more, and then finally went to fetch her keys from the kitchen counter. It wouldn't take a century to head down to her mailbox and back—she was usually only gone a few minutes. Locking the door behind her, she took care to be quiet, just in case he was really awake and merely waiting for her to leave.

It wasn't long before she had descended the flights of stairs and was walking towards the mailboxes. Quickly scanning them for the corresponding number for her room, she opened it up using the mailbox key and saw the small stack of envelopes inside. Pulling them out, she flipped through only a few of them before the biggest, truest grin she had worn since May had been healed spread across her face.

The address on one of them was written in neat handwriting, and the return address bore a highly familiar name. Tearing open the envelope, leaning against the wall as she did so, she was exhilarated to find two full pages inside, and did not waste a second in reading them.

The name was that of her best friend, Meryl Rainier, whom she had known since her childhood. For as long as twelve years, they had lived together in Midgar, until the threatening Meteor had appeared, and Meryl's family abruptly moved to Junon. For the entirety of the past two years, Kallie hadn't seen Meryl once, and deeply missed her. She was one of the gentlest, kindest people one could befriend, yet was equally just as delicate and frail.

As Kallie continued to pour over the letter, the grin continued to widen. She hadn't heard from Meryl since her last letter that had informed her of Uncle's death, which she had responded to immediately by phone to give her deep condolences. The subject was never touched upon in this letter; Meryl steered away from it, writing more about life in Junon, including her studies to become a nurse for W.R.O., and how she longed to see Kallie in the near future.

_Man, I really wish we could_, thought Kallie wistfully. But, she well knew that would be hardly possible, especially with recent events. There would be no allowances for any sort of side visits while in pursuit of May, particularly with the company she was supposed to be traveling with. Kallie sighed dolefully.

Life really did suck at the moment.

* * *

While Kallie had believed him to be still sound asleep, Yazoo truthfully had been fully awake and ready from a decent night's rest. Around five thirty, he had emerged from his room to retrieve his jacket, only to find the girl sleeping right on top of it. Annoyed, he had slipped back into the room and waited for her to wake, though was unable to believe that she would actually leave the apartment entirely.

_What naivety._

At hearing the unmistakable sounds of the front door opening and closing, he did not hesitate in reentering the now deserted apartment. The girl was definitely gone, though his jacket still lay upon the table. Upon inspecting the leather uniform, Yazoo was actually pleased to see that, while it would never look the same again, she had done a rather good job of repairing it.

After testing the stitches to see they would not break, he whisked the jacket back to the bedroom and hurriedly donned it, along with the rest of his attire. The girl could be back at any minute. Once he had pulled on his gloves in the bathroom, he surveyed himself one last time in the mirror before heading towards the fire escape and tugged the plastic-covered door open.

With a final glance over his shoulder, he slipped outside, not bothering to shut the door behind him. Although he could have easily jumped from this height with no harm when he was at full health, he figured it wouldn't do his current injured state any good. Instead, like a regular human, he proceeded down the stairwell and, without a care, left behind the girl he had agreed to help.

* * *

Trudging back up the stairs to her apartment, Kallie's feet felt awfully leaden, all the cheer she had received from her friend's letter gone. It seemed as though everything was working against her in order to prevent her from being with those that she loved. To top that off, she would be allying herself with the worst person imaginable, on a mission that was inevitably suicidal. Nothing was working out for her—nothing at all.

As she was about to discover, that would continue to be the case.

The instant she had walked across the threshold of her apartment, she knew at once something was amiss. The door to Uncle's bedroom stood wide open, and through it she could see the bed was empty, with the shirt the creep had worn crumpled atop it. Her eyes next instantly traveled towards the kitchen, and not only registered that the jacket she had worked nearly all night to repair was gone, but the door to the fire escape was also open. After a rushed check of the entire apartment, and finding no indication the silver-haired creep remained, Kallie broke out in a fresh flood of swears.

"Damn it! I knew it! I knew he would run off on me! I so damn knew it! That bastard!"

If there were anything that would be the snapping point, this would be it. Even if she had despised his presence, she had truly been counting on him—she had _believed_ he would hold true to his word. It could be forever before she found somebody strong enough to help her; every second that she wasted sitting around idle, May could be farther and farther away from her.

She stood there for several minutes, her fingers twisted tightly into her bangs as she sulked and brooded on the situation. Finally, she unwound her fingers from her hair as the urge to rant set in, and marched off towards Mrs. Eliot's apartment. If there were anybody she would vent to, it would be her: she had been the inventor of the ludicrous idea in the first place!

Barely within thirty seconds, she was banging on Mrs. Eliot's door, a few doors down from her own. In her disconcertion, she had forgotten it was only a quarter past six in the morning, and Mrs. Eliot would unlikely to be up by now, especially on the weekend. Yet, to her surprise, the older woman answered in under a minute. Clad in a bathrobe and slippers, she looked predictably tired, though alert with concern nonetheless, especially at Kallie's irritated expression.

"What's the matter, Kallie?" she asked at once, although from the way she paled, it seemed as though she already knew the answer.

"'What's the matter?'" Kallie repeated in a heated undertone, which steadily rose as she stormed inside and rounded on her. _"'What's the matter'_, you ask? How about some silver-haired bastard walking out on you when he promised to help? That was _your_ idea, Mrs. Eliot! That brilliant idea that's causing me to waste time chasing after some creep when I could be rescuing May!"

Kallie could feel the heat flaring up in her face and neck as she glared at Mrs. Eliot, with even more vehemence than she had shown the silver-haired man. Her whole body was vibrating, her chest rising and falling, and Mrs. Eliot, sensitive as she already was, looked thoroughly taken aback. She was silent for a long moment before she responded, her voice trembling as much as her hands were.

"…You're right, Kallie," she murmured, and she was just as submissive as she was yesterday when Kallie had had her outburst then. "I… realize my idea was flimsy and foolish." Mrs. Eliot paused sadly. "How about some breakfast? Let's talk this over."

By the time ten minutes had passed, with a glass of juice and slices of toast before her, Kallie had calmed down considerably, feeling far more abashed than yesterday. Mrs. Eliot had reclaimed her composure as well, and she was smiling at Kallie from across the table, as gently as always.

"I'm glad to hear that you did convince him to at least come to your apartment," she remarked, after Kallie had told her of everything that had transpired between her and the silver-haired man.

"He just wanted to use me," Kallie said, taking another bite of toast. "He just wanted someplace so he could recover and continue whatever screwed up plans he's got."

"Then he owes a debt to you, and he won't be able to deny it. In any case, I believe you should try to find him again."

At this, Kallie nearly spat the toast back out.

"Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous, but… we can't afford to lose any more time. He still could be the only one who can help you."

"Jeez, you make it sound like he's my friggin' ex-boyfriend," Kallie mumbled wryly, and Mrs. Eliot laughed. "But… you've always been right, Mrs. Eliot. You've never led me astray."

Mrs. Eliot grew solemn again. "It's not a preferable situation, I know. However—"

"I've gotta do what's necessary." Finishing the piece of toast and draining the glass of juice, Kallie stood. "So… I don't have any more time to lose."

An utter sadness replaced the solemnity across Mrs. Eliot's face as she too rose from the table. "You're… going now, then?"

Kallie nodded gravely. "Mrs. Eliot, I need you to tell everybody about this. Rika, Colin, Lucie, the whole lot. Tell them I wish I could've said goodbye. I don't know what to do about my possessions, my apartment, or my job, but I can't worry about that now."

"Don't worry. We'll take care of everything. All you worry about is getting May back."

Kallie nodded again, and then suddenly flung her arms around her, embracing the person that had been her motherly figure for all these years. "Thank you so much for everything, Mrs. Eliot. Thank you for being like the mother that I've lost… even if there were moments where we've disagreed."

Mrs. Eliot smiled back up at her. "Thank you for being like the child that I've lost. You and May were _my_ everything after…" Her voice trailed off, yet Kallie knew she meant the tragic bombing of Sector 7. "I will miss you so much, Kallie. I wish you the greatest luck in your journey.

"Now go, before any more time is lost."

Kallie nodded for the third time, though still gave her another hug before pulling away. There was another prolonged moment as the two looked at each other, for what could be the last time. Then, with a smile and a wave of her hand in farewell, Kallie dashed out of the apartment.

Mrs. Eliot stood in the same place for several minutes, her arms still somewhat in the same position as they had been embracing Kallie. Yet, she soon found her way to a chair and dropped herself into it, her hand clenched over her heart.

* * *

As he wandered through the backstreets of Edge, attempting to find his way back into Midgar, Yazoo felt quite lucky it was so early in the morning, as there were very few people out, and this time he avoided their attention entirely. By the time he came to the hole in the chain-link fence, the place that he vividly recalled as being the entrance into Midgar, Yazoo further reveled in his marvelous fortune that he had gone unnoticed so far.

Nevertheless, when he reached the fence, he glanced back for the umpteenth time to make sure there was no one else around. Chiefly, though, it was because of the possibility that the orange-haired girl would discover he was gone, and would come chasing after him in a rage. He wasn't worried that she would, though: after all, she seethed with so much resentment that she was probably glad to be rid of his presence. With that in mind, he began to stoop through the hole in the fence.

He had barely gone halfway through, however, when the sound of something awfully familiar reached his ears—a pair of boots, which had approached him twice yesterday during his time in the church. With a sinking feeling in his chest as he straightened back up, Yazoo glanced back and saw, with great displeasure, that it was the orange-haired girl. She bore a stuffed backpack on her back, the pair of chakrams at her hip, and an expression of the utmost hatred on her face.

"So, this is how you're going to pay me back, huh?" the girl snapped, still coming closer. "I gave you shelter, I gave you food, and I stayed up all night fixing your damn jacket for you. And you couldn't even leave a tip?"

One could almost feeling the animosity crackling between the two, Kallie coming to a halt about five feet from Yazoo. He remained silent, fixing her with a cold stare, before slipping through the fence's hole.

"Hey you!" Kallie was quick to follow through after him, and forced him to pull up short as she stopped right in front of him. "Don't think you can just walk away from me!"

"I've already done that," he replied simply, and brushed past her.

Kallie huffed angrily, then sped up to keep on walking beside him, retorting at him all the while. "But don't think you'll be doing that again! My cousin is at stake here, and I need your help! You _agreed_ to help me!"

He scoffed, his strides unceasing. "You believed I would stay to my word?"

She sighed, still following him. "Listen you, it might not even take that long. Once we get her back, I'll leave you in peace. Look, I'll even help you with whatever you need to do. How does that sound?"

Yazoo did not like the sound of that—at first. But then, the importance of Mother's mission came to him, and he stopped in his tracks. Here, even now, the girl was continuing to offer help, and help was what he needed more than anything. Finding Loz was the one thing he had set out to do here in Midgar, but what if nothing came of this trip no matter how hard he searched? Could this girl be the only source of aid he would find?

It was like that moment in the church again, as Kallie breathlessly awaited his response, standing before him now. Once again, there was no way to know what was going on in his mind—that face was a master of mystery. Finally, he returned his attention to her, perhaps more earnestly than it had ever been.

"Very well," he said, and the words stunned Kallie for a moment, so much she almost missed one of the longest strings of words he had yet to say to her. "But, only on one condition: you will follow what orders I give you and you will not question them, regardless of what they may be. Understand?"

"As long as whatever orders you've got help me find her," Kallie growled back, yet found herself beginning to smirk. "Anyways, the quicker we can rescue her, the sooner you can get rid of me."

Through the smirk she wore, though, Yazoo could tell she wasn't easily going to resign to being the follower, and he felt a great self-importance that he was going to be the leader—the one in charge, the one to give out orders. There always had been great frustration working under Kadaj, and often Yazoo had wondered why Mother had chosen Kadaj to be the leader, to have the closest connection to Sephiroth. Yet, with Kadaj gone, and he possibly her only son left, Mother would have no choice but to give those abilities to he, Yazoo…

_Right?_

"So, what are you planning to do here in Midgar?"

The girl's voice cut unpleasantly through his train of thought. For a moment, he debated on answering her, then gave in.

"I'm looking for someone as well." Already, he was accepting the fact that she would be definitely traveling with him from now on, and there would be hardly anything he would be able to hide from her—except for the true motive behind his mission.

"Who?"

Her persistent curiosity annoyed him, but he replied nonetheless. Perhaps a second pair of eyes would be useful. "My brother, Loz."

Had he glanced back at her as he continued to walk on, he would have seen the disbelief creep over her face. Kallie followed in his wake, but only absentmindedly, since she was completely distracted by the name he had given her—one of the names from last night's dream. The elements in that nightmare were enough to be painfully memorable and yet, somehow, those names stuck out most of all. But… how often would something like that turn into reality? Dreams were never genuinely prophetic, after all.

_But, the voice told me they can help me recover May!_ Could this… actually be possible? Could this _creep_ be one of them?

"Say… what's your name, anyway?" she asked him, intoning the question in as a polite manner as possible.

There was a moment of hesitation. "Yazoo."

And then the shriek of a Shadow Creeper was heard in the distance.

* * *

It hadn't been long beforehand that Loz was up and about too. After having sat on that piece of rubble for the longest time yesterday, waiting for the pain in his leg to wane, he had inadvertently fallen asleep. But, the rays of the rising sun had fallen across his face, awakening him, and when he found that the pain had subsided, he had set out once more, unaware that Yazoo was searching for him at that same moment.

_Yazoo… where **are** you?_

Even though he had been barely searching for a quarter of an hour, Loz had already begun to recall the assumptions he had made yesterday, and their probability was too much to ignore. It was only the stubborn belief that Yazoo was alive, regardless of his state of injury or well-being, that kept him searching. Even if he was… dead, he had to at least find his body. He had to know, at the very least, what had become of his brother. Still… the thought of him too being gone was purely unbearable.

His thoughts about Mother's mission were no different from Yazoo's, and he had more or less come to the very same conclusion. How much better was a single remnant on his own, if three of them together could not succeed? He might be the strongest of them, even if he wasn't as intelligent as Kadaj or Yazoo, but he usually made such rash moves that, had his brothers not been there, would have proven to be costly. The prospect was almost suicidal, and yet he knew he must carry on, despite the odds.

It was the only thing he and his brothers had been brought into the world to do.

Although wrapped up in his anxiety, Loz had been careful enough to keep an eye out for anything prominently different among the wreckage. It felt like all he had come to know in the past two days was rubble, rubble, and more rubble. Quite frankly, he was growing tired of it—just something even slightly out of the ordinary would be nice. The wish had barely crossed his mind, however, when it was soon granted.

At seeing something ahead, lying amidst the wreckage, he quickly scurried to it as fast as his leg would allow. Loz was met with great disappointment, though; upon reaching it, it only turned out to be the mangled body of a Whole Eater. It lay in pieces, picked at by scavengers, and due to its state of decay, it had probably been here a week. Yet, with a closer inspection, wrinkling his nose at the stench, he discovered it had been rent apart by a weapon—more specifically, by a bullet.

Elated by the discovery, he looked beyond the corpse for anything more, and spotted two other corpses in a similarly mutilated condition. His knowledge in forensics was quite limited, yet he was unwilling to sway from his belief these Whole Eaters had been shot, and these corpses in particular had been shot by an excellent marksman. Eagerly grabbing at any straw that Yazoo could be alive, Loz searched for more telltale signs that his brother had been here.

Soon, he emerged onto a earthen path that he recognized with a bit of a shock, for it was the road through the once-existing slums of Sector 5 that he had taken to reach that church a week ago, which he could see off in the distance. It then suddenly struck him that Yazoo could have taken refuge there—it was perhaps the safest place in the vicinity, and Yazoo would remember he had once visited there. It was the best shot he had.

Possible clues hadn't just ended with those Whole Eaters, though. Farther along the road, he came across two more Whole Eater carcasses, albeit these had been slain in a different manner. One appeared to have been stabbed, while the other was nothing more than a mere pile of ashes. The latter was another exciting clue for him; he vividly remembered Yazoo had had a Fire materia equipped! He had to be here!

In the joy of possibly finding his brother, his injury felt nonexistent as Loz hurried up the path at a near jog. What would some stupid injury matter anyway? He would be reunited with his brother at long last! There would be no more worry about being all alone—no more worry of weakness, and no more worry of failure.

Though Loz came across another slain Whole Eater, he passed by it with little regard, for now he was only a hundred yards or so away from the church. He tried to peer in through the gaping doorway, but he could barely see anything from this far away. That was until, with overwhelming happiness, he saw a figure appear in the doorway. With a leap of his heart like he had never known, he had started forward again, and then stopped dead.

At fully discerning the person in the distant doorway, his face fell into an expression of disbelief and shock.

_B-brother…?_

It was his brother, yet not the one he happened to be searching for.


	7. Rough Beginnings

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 7**

_Rough Beginnings_

Despite the chat with Tifa yesterday, it seemed Cloud Strife's mind could not be free of burdening contemplation.

In the midst of a week completely occupied with Tifa, the children, 7th Heaven, and a return to his delivery duties, Cloud's thoughts had always found a way to settle back on Aerith. It was no surprise his thoughts couldn't escape her still—it was hard not to, especially since he had thought he would never be free of the shackles of guilt that had bound him ever since her death. How could he have been able to?

When he had let Aerith sink beneath the lake's waters in the Forgotten City, Cloud had thought it would be the last time he would ever see her face. And yet, ever since he had seen that hand reaching towards him in the Lifestream two years ago, some part of him knew she would somehow come back to him. That part of him had been correct to assume so.

In life or death, Aerith Gainsborough always managed to become his savior. It had been her consoling words in that vision while driving towards the Forgotten City. It had been her hand that had pulled him through Bahamut SIN's Mega Flare, and that later had been placed upon his brow as he was suspended within the Lifestream. Then, it had been her and Zack's ghost that had appeared to him in the church: the first—and perhaps final—place where he would meet her.

For a few, brief moments after seeing her and Zack's ghost fade away, Cloud actually thought he might have gone mad. No one else in the church seemed to have noticed their ghostly presence; not the citizens of Edge, not even his friends. No one but those two kids that she had been conversing with when he had first caught sight of her. Yet, the moment of uncertainty was ever so fleeting: it was with a smile that he had absolved himself of his guilt, and those shackles had finally unbound themselves.

He was finally free.

Despite feeling even more happy now than he ever had in his entire life, there were those encumbering thoughts that would not leave him be. There had been the troublesome worry of Sephiroth still attempting to return, but Tifa had easily washed that away with her optimism. He could always rely upon her for that.

No—the one thing that burdened him the most now was, once more, concerned with those dear to him who were now deceased. He had never given a proper farewell to any of them—Aerith, Zack, his former comrades in AVALANCHE, or even his mother. Yearning for that opportunity for closure, it was for that reason that he had returned to the church in Sector 5 of Midgar, once again.

Very early that morning, Cloud had left 7th Heaven, on the pretense of getting a head's start to Gongaga. It would have been the only way he could have come here without worrying Tifa that he was still somehow riddled with guilt somehow; he had caused her enough of that already. Coming to the church had been on his mind ever since the thought of saying farewell had occurred to him, as it had been here Aerith and Zack had appeared, solid as any living being. Here, he hoped he could say that proper farewell to them, to thank them for all that they had done.

Currently, he sat on one of the pews that was still intact from all the conflicts that had occurred here, the First Tsurugi leaning against the armrest. (Never would Cloud know that Yazoo had been seated on that very pew only just yesterday.) The pool, full of water permeated by the Lifestream, glistened in the morning light. For as long as he had been there, Cloud had watched the reflected light dancing off the ceiling and walls, vigilantly waiting for her to appear again.

"Aerith… Zack…" he finally spoke into the silence. "Are you… here?"

But, as much as he strained for any indication she was here, Cloud was only greeted by a silence that he should have known better to expect. For several minutes longer, he remained, and then finally decided the idea had been foolish in the first place. He wasn't going to brood on it this time, however; after all she had done to help him, Aerith wouldn't want him mourning over her or anyone else still.

Still, it was with reluctance that he stood, slipped the First Tsurugi into the sword harness on his back, and made his way to the church's entrance, where Fenrir was parked nearby. With his mind so preoccupied, wondering if he could ever see Aerith and Zack again, his sight had not been focused at all ahead of him. Rather, his eyes kept wandering over the interior of the church, as if their ghosts would suddenly appear. No such thing occurred, though, by the time he reached the entrance. Or, at least, not in any way he was expecting.

Cloud had only just stepped across the threshold when he saw something—a person, without a shadow of a doubt—coming down the path towards the church, towards him. In that split second before he hastily glanced up, so many suppositions had come to him. He was convinced this was no coincidence: his silent prayers must have been answered. Aerith, Zack, or any one of the people he wished to see again—it had to be one of them!

Yet, he would see it was no ghost.

It was one of Sephiroth's remnants—very much alive.

There was nothing but astounded silence between Cloud and Loz as they stared at each other, for the first time since they had last faced off atop the Shinra building. Each were just as stunned and shocked to see the other, fixedly frozen in place. It stretched into almost half a minute before either of them made a move, and that was Cloud. His face clenching into a glare, his hand flew to the hilt of the sword strapped on his back.

At that motion, Loz instantly took a step backward, already aware he was basically doomed. He was completely unarmed; the very person before him had destroyed Dual Hound. He wouldn't be able to flee successfully despite his natural super speed; his injured leg was to thank for that. Yazoo… wasn't here either. Weighing the odds, he felt defeated before the battle had even begun.

With Brother swinging his sword out into a readier position in front of him, Loz took another couple steps back as his adversary advanced on him. Hurriedly, he tried to remember what materia he possessed in his arm, and did not hesitate a second when he recalled his Earth materia.

The ground trembled, and columns of green light and rock sprang from the earth. Caught off guard, Brother leapt into the air, swinging his sword in an attempt to deflect the attack. Loz grinned, as it appeared to injure Brother, though the grin vanished as Brother hit the ground and rolled to his feet instantly. He seemed only more ticked off by the attack, in the way he leapt at Loz. It was only by resorting to his super speed that Loz was able to dodge this onslaught, although paid for it with the pain that shot through his leg.

Wincing, he looked up in time to see the First Tsurugi swinging his way, and he dodged it again, chancing a punch when he glimpsed an opening. Miraculously, his fist struck home in Brother's chest, sending him backward a few paces. But, that wasn't before Loz felt a pommel smack his chin, and in turn he staggered back, right onto his injured leg. His leg shook for a moment, and then collapsed beneath him, making him fall to one knee.

Looking up once more, Loz saw Brother rising to his feet, and it was then Loz took notice of the sleeve that was missing from Brother's left arm, which bore no signs of any Geostigma. He felt his heart sink even further; there was yet another disadvantage working against him. Realizing he had no options left, Loz called up the Shadow Creepers.

Three of the summoned creatures suddenly materialized in clouds of smoke before him, shielding him from his opponent. They kept Brother at bay for a few seconds, yet he soon effortlessly sliced through them, causing them to dissipate. That wasn't before their pained screeches rent the air, and it was those cries that caught Kallie and Yazoo's attention from so far away.

"The hell was that?" Kallie was quick to inquire, whirling about in the direction of the screeches. It didn't take her long before she knew what it was, though: she had recognized it an instant later as belonging to one of those creatures that had nearly killed her last week.

Just as quickly, however, Yazoo had taken off in that direction, ignoring the shout of surprise from Kallie. He never glanced back once—not even his broken rib could hinder him as he leapt across the tops of the rubble, as fast as he possibly could. That screech couldn't be mistaken anywhere, and no one but he or his brothers could summon the Shadow Creepers.

It had to be Loz, it just _had_ to be!

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than it hit him: it could only mean Loz was in trouble. Deep trouble. His newfound worry was amplified when more screeches sounded off in the distance, urging him to speed up. His rib panged in protest, but he pressed on resolutely. If anything was happening to his brother, he wasn't about to lose him again.

Even though he knew he would barely use it, he still drew Velvet Nightmare out of habit. Now that his magic was replenished, he could rely on that if need be, as well as the Shadow Creepers. Speaking of which, their shrieks were growing louder and louder, and he knew he had to be drawing close. Yazoo ascended to the top of a mountain of rubble, and froze at the sight that had come into view.

For the first time he could remember, Yazoo felt an incomparable rush of joy and relief at seeing the unmistakable figure of Loz. The only thing that dampened his elated spirits was the fact that Loz was indeed in the midst of a battle, and against a recognizable opponent. With that spiky blond hair and the enormous sword, there was no mistaking Brother either.

Despite the pain in his chest being more excruciating than ever, he bounded down from the mountain of rubble. Soon, he was easily in range, and he aimed a Fira spell at Brother. Neither of the combatants took notice of Yazoo approaching—at least, not until flames suddenly erupted to life around Brother.

It was nothing short of a miracle for Loz—he had been on the verge of collapsing out of exhaustion, and his leg searing with pain from the countless dodging. When that Fira spell had been cast out of the blue, amidst his surprise, Loz had glanced about for his savior, and spotted Yazoo coming at a run towards him.

"_Y-Yazoo!_" Loz's voice nearly croaked from the overwhelming tide of emotions, of exhaustion and anxiety, of relief and joy. But, there was no opportunity to celebrate their reunion. Brother had broken through the Fira spell, bearing a disbelieving expression at seeing yet another remnant alive.

Yazoo running off for a second time had done nothing for Kallie's temper, and it only escalated at seeing just how fast he clipped across the ruins. Within moments, he was gone from her sight.

"Damn, he's fast."

Seeing his incredible speed despite injury disheartened her as well. There was no way in hell she could go that fast or leap distances like that, and there barely seemed to be any hope of catching up to him. Nevertheless, Kallie made haste in scrambling across the ruins as fast as possible, hoping there would be no monsters to impede her progress.

As Yazoo had done, she followed the shrieks of the Shadow Creepers. Her ears were nowhere near as precise as Yazoo's, but despite that, she was able to pinpoint it someplace near the church in Sector 5. That conclusion was only more discouraging; even by running, it would take her a while to reach there.

Despite her worries, however, Kallie made good timing in entering Sector 5 and finding her way to the path that lead to the church. That was only the result of having run for five minutes nonstop, though, and she nearly dropped to her knees when she paused to catch her heaving breath. While she couldn't say she was relieved to hear so, the sounds of battle had drawn closer, and with a small amount of rest she took to her feet again to find out.

Rounding a pile of rubble that blocked her view, Kallie was just in time to see Yazoo casting his second Fira spell a hundred yards away. Those creatures were appearing out of clouds of smoke as they had before, and beside Yazoo she spotted a man who could only be his brother, Loz. It took a moment, but she quickly recognized him as the other man she had seen at the base of the monument. His hair was way different in style, yet it was the same silvery luster, and he wore a similar leather outfit, which looked as damaged as Yazoo's had been.

Dodging Yazoo's Fira spell, however, was a man that she did not recognize. He was shorter than the two brothers, and his hair was blond and spiky. This man also wielded a huge sword similar to the weapons that SOLDIERs had used, and from the way he was swinging it at the silver-haired men, she deduced that he was probably an enemy of theirs.

Hold on a second… an _enemy?_

Was she really seeing this? Was there really somebody strong who could oppose the silver-haired men? As she watched the battle ensuing before her eyes, she noted that the blond-haired warrior was definitely adept in swordplay; he easily fought two people at once. Albeit, they were very injured people, though they put up quite the fight nonetheless.

Yet, as Kallie continued to witness the scene, she couldn't help but wonder where her allegiance lay. Yes, she had started out believing her one and only ally would be this Yazoo, but she was elated to think there could be a change of plans.

As she thought of rushing in to aid the blond-haired warrior, however, another realization made her stop in her tracks again. What if Loz and Yazoo realized her betrayal, and decided to hunt her down until they could kill her in payback? She would definitely be no help to her cousin then. Even if they didn't, what if their opponent learned she had been affiliated with them, and wouldn't want to ally with her? Besides, Kallie didn't even know if that man was any more trustworthy than those two.

* * *

Even before he had plunged into the fray, Yazoo had known this would be a fight he or Loz wouldn't be able to win. As they were both injured, their usual teamwork strategy was out of the question, but he was still able to make discreet motions to Loz for the two of them to retreat. Gradually throughout the battle, they backed away, remaining cautious enough not to turn their backs on Brother. Escape, however, wasn't going to be as easy as that.

Every step that they took backward, Brother took another one towards them, and often Yazoo found himself parrying away Brother's blade whenever he got too close. The latter seemed to be figuring out their plan of action, and Yazoo knew this couldn't continue—he had to think of something quick.

As he and Loz summoned more Shadow Creepers, Yazoo made the umpteenth scan of their surroundings for any possible escape route. Again, he could spy none, and he began to feel desperate. He could hardly ignore his rib anymore, and his magic was starting to wear out from the constant spell casting. In his desperation, his thoughts actually turned to the orange-haired girl, even though he well knew she would be absolutely unhelpful.

No sooner than he had thought of her did he catch movement—and a glimpse of orange—among the ruins. Chancing a glance back, Yazoo saw her crouching behind a pile of rubble some distance away, doing nothing more than watching the battle. Vexation coursed through him. So, all she was capable of was being a cowardly bystander. Some help she was!

Or, at least, so it had appeared to him. In reality, Kallie was creeping as discreetly along as to get behind the blond-haired warrior without being detected. It had occurred to her that if she could help the silver-haired brothers in one way or another in this battle, then maybe she could prove that she was something worthwhile after all. She also knew better than to think she could fight that guy and live, but at least she could provide a distraction of some sort.

Kallie was relieved that Yazoo, after giving her a furtive look, had immediately engrossed himself in the battle again. Resuming her covert actions, she managed to sneak behind their opponent and pick up a stone. She really hoped she got an opportunity to apologize to this guy later, as this was something she was not happy about doing. For May's sake, though, she was prepared to resort to anything.

Praying that her aim wasn't off today, she chucked the stone right at Cloud.

Although he had returned his focus to the battle, Yazoo kept finding himself glancing at the orange-haired girl as she crept away, wondering if she really was trying to flee. He might have derided her for being a coward, but he would be glad to be rid of her nonetheless, especially now that he had reunited with Loz (which he only hoped wouldn't be short-lived).

The next time he glanced at the girl, he almost lost his focus entirely. There she was, creeping up behind Brother with a _stone_ in her hand. As he deflected another one of Brother's blows, he was even more dumbfounded to see her throw the stone right at their adversary. It struck him on the shoulder, and Brother, obviously bewildered, swiveled his head about to see whom this new combatant could be. Although Yazoo could not see his face, he was sure he was even more thoroughly baffled to see the culprit was a mere girl.

It was then Yazoo realized his chance to strike. Loz did as well.

In those seconds as Brother stared back at the orange-haired girl, Yazoo raised and aimed Velvet Nightmare at his heart, preparing to again deal that blow which should have ended his life before. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Loz step forward, waiting for him to strike first. Without hesitation, Yazoo pulled the trigger.

At the sound of the gun being fired, Brother snapped back to alertness, almost a second too late. Whirling back around, he raised his sword to block the attack, but the bullet slipped past by the width of a hair. Fortunately for him, it only hit home in his left arm, where his Geostigma used to be. He doubled over with a groan, nearly dropping his sword in the process.

He wasn't given a chance to recover, as Loz came zooming in a second later. His fist thrust forward, making connection with Brother's jaw. Despite Loz's fatigue, he had placed the most power behind the punch to date, sending Brother flying down the road. His sword flew out of his hand, clattering at Kallie's feet as he skidded nearly all the way to the church. There, he lay quite still, and made no attempt to get back up.

Everyone's eyes had been watching Cloud, waiting for any sign of movement that indicated he was conscious. When seconds had passed, and nothing had happened, the three alleviated themselves of the tension. Kallie sat down on the rubble, her legs suddenly wobbly at what she had witnessed as a result of her actions. Likewise, Loz's leg was trembling badly from the wound, and he staggered backward onto a chunk of rubble as well.

Yazoo remained standing, still staring at Brother's unmoving form. The adrenaline was leaving him, he was ceasing to ignore his broken rib, and the pain was coming back like a tidal wave. Finally, it forced him to sit down next to his brother, who had slumped forward, his hands on his knees. Still, he could spy his eyes beginning to rim with tears, and Yazoo could not help himself.

"Going to cry already, Loz?"

At that taunt, Loz's head jerked back up instantly to look back at Yazoo, who was smirking just as he usually did whenever teasing someone. His eyes were indeed watering, but that was from simply pain, as Yazoo could now see the large gash along his thigh.

"And you're going to be mean already?" retorted Loz, pulling an expression of childlike hurt. Nonetheless, he soon grinned and chuckled, clapping a hand onto his brother's back. "I can't believe you're alive either, Yazoo."

As Loz could simply knock the wind out of anyone without even trying, though, Yazoo himself lost his breath a little as he lurched forward slightly. That couldn't have been good for his rib.

"You… wouldn't happen to have any Restore materia, would you?" he managed to say when he had caught his breath again, his hand over the abused rib.

Loz shook his head. "I was gonna ask you that. Where're you hurt?"

"My rib is broken. Probably more than one." Yazoo paused, looking out around the landscape, only briefly glancing towards the still motionless Brother before a question occurred to him. "How long have you been conscious, Loz?"

Loz shrugged. "Not long. I… woke up yesterday and saw you weren't with me, so I went looking for you. What about you?"

At hearing that information, Yazoo stared unbelievingly at his brother. "You only woke up _yesterday?_"

"Yeah…" Loz's face began to fall a little. "How long's it really been?"

"It's been a week, Loz."

At that, his face fell completely, and he looked almost ashamed that he had been unconscious for a full week. But secretly, Yazoo would give anything to have been in a coma that long, and he was actually a bit jealous. One, he would have probably bypassed the week-long hell he had been forced to endure; two, he would have never met that girl.

"So… you've been awake all that time?" he heard Loz say.

Yazoo only had to nod, a bit resentfully. Nevertheless, he was more overjoyed than anything to be reunited with his brother. He had believed all hope of ever being with any of his brothers had been lost. He had believed Loz, at the very least, was as good as dead. He well knew there was no hope of seeing Kadaj ever again, but at least part of his wish had been granted. The pain from being separated from Mother had been enough already.

"We should be on our way now," Yazoo said, carefully standing now that the pain had ebbed away slightly.

Nodding, Loz also followed suit, though even more cautiously as his leg gave a twinge. Just as he was about to ask Yazoo for support, a female voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

"Jeez, it's about time we got out of here."

Halting abruptly, Loz turned slightly to see the girl that he had noticed only briefly beforehand. She had stood as well, and her arms were folded. Now that he wasn't preoccupied by a battle, he became puzzled as to whom she was, and why she had actually helped them out. Though he noted the chakrams at her hip, she didn't appear to be unlike the ordinary citizens of Edge he had seen.

As he studied her, Loz saw her hazel eyes narrow at him, seemingly nettled from his staring. Turning away from her, he gave Yazoo a puzzled, inquiring look. Now, though, he could see his brother glaring in his frigid fashion back in the direction of the girl, and Loz realized whom she had been really glowering at.

"This girl wants to travel with us," Yazoo answered, with an unusual amount of bitterness. "She wants us to help find her cousin."

Loz frowned incredulously at him, unable to believe his ears, though he could tell Yazoo wished he hadn't needed to say that. Before he could reply, he heard a huff from the girl, and whipped his gaze back to her.

"I _have_ a name, you know!" she snapped, her hands on her hips. "It's Kallie!"

He looked back to see Yazoo scoff, seeming not to care knowing her name. His eyes, though, hardened into nothing short of a cold glare.

"Do you want us to find your cousin?" There was annoyance easily evident in Yazoo's voice.

"Sure as hell I do," she rebutted.

Loz suddenly felt caught in an invisible crossfire.

"Then, unless you have something worthwhile to say, keep your mouth shut."

Rarely having heard Yazoo use such severity in his words, Loz was taken aback. Glancing back for the third time, he saw the girl's lips purse, but she obeyed and stayed silent. More thoroughly bewildered than ever, he returned his gaze to Yazoo, only to see him beginning to walk away. Hastily, he limped forward to catch up.

"Yazoo, hold on," Loz said as he came to Yazoo's side, grimacing a little. Behind him, he heard the girl called Kallie start to follow. "Is she… really coming with us?"

At the cold, sidelong glance Yazoo gave him, though, he knew better than to have asked; a change of topic would probably be smart. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat.

"So… how're we gonna get out of here?" He really wasn't looking forward to walking very much. Apparently, Yazoo wasn't either, for he soon came to a stop, his expression contemplative, like Loz was used to.

In truth, Yazoo had not given a single thought about transportation. Their motorbikes were out of the equation, as both were most likely blackened, melted heaps of metal somewhere on the highway. He wasn't sure about Kadaj's, although he knew better than to get his hopes up. They could get chocobos if it came down to it, but the idea of riding those ridiculous birds did not appeal to him in the slightest. Absentmindedly brushing back a lock of hair, Yazoo pondered for a few seconds longer, and then it hit him.

"The truck we stole should still be around here, right?"

* * *

Bright sunlight was shining through Cloud's eyelids. Brilliant, blinding light. And pain. Excruciating, piercing pain that rocketed all over his body. The more conscious he grew, the more agonizing it became. It came particularly from his arm and jaw, and he couldn't decide which felt worse. Shutting his eyes even tighter, Cloud groaned, his hand clamping over the sharp wound in his arm. When he felt strong enough to open them at last, he gingerly shifted his arm to scrutinize the injury, and was startled to see his upper arm and the ground around it coated with blood.

It was then he remembered the remnants.

In spite of the extreme pain, he sat bolt upright to scan his surroundings. To both his dismay and his relief, they were nowhere in sight. He had noticed vaguely that he no longer held the First Tsurugi, but spotted it lying near the place where he had last fought the silver-haired men. A long skid mark led from there to where he sat right now. Recalling how hard that punch had been, Cloud knew he was lucky not to have a shattered jaw.

After much endeavoring, he was finally able to rise to his feet, still clutching his arm. Thankfully, his legs weren't injured, and he was able to stagger back towards Fenrir, in which he kept an emergency supply of healing items. Cloud had hoped that he would only need to use them after scuffles with ordinary monsters—not after being wounded by his adversaries who should have been well dead.

As he gulped down an X-Potion to soothe his injuries, the utter bewilderment and anxiety he had felt crept back to him. When Tifa had expressed her conclusions, that Sephiroth really was dead for good, he had instantly been convinced there was no way they could come back. Yet, for once, it seemed Tifa had been wrong. He berated himself for having developed such a strong sense of security—his dreading of Sephiroth's return had been correct all along.

It seemed Sephiroth would stay true to those last words he had spoken: he would never remain a mere memory after all.

* * *

_That jerk! Just because he's 'leader' doesn't mean he's the boss of me!_

After Yazoo had told her to shut up, Kallie's mood had soured considerably. Already, she had expected this trip to be unpleasant, and with every event that happened it only seemed to worsen; it was with begrudged, obedient silence that she followed them to where they had remembered leaving their truck.

Throughout the half hour it would take to reach the vehicle, she had brooded over everything that had occurred, and what she knew was likely to come. There was the unwelcome matter that Yazoo's brother, Loz, was indeed alive (but thankfully not that well). Knowing he had helped in May's kidnapping, she already had good reason to dislike him.

In any case, she was surprised that he was his brother in the first place. Had their hair and eyes not been the same, Kallie wouldn't have thought them related at all. While Yazoo could easily be mistaken for a woman even close up, Loz was considerably the opposite. Everything, from his rugged face to his burly physique, was masculine, through and through. Perhaps the fact that he didn't look like quite the 'pretty boy' would make him more tolerable.

The only thing that really overshadowed her resentment was her regret. After having thrown that stone at the blond-haired warrior, it had dawned on her that to be affiliated with these people, she would have to become a criminal. If she stayed with them long enough, she would probably become just as villainous as they were. Especially since she would be under Yazoo's 'leadership', he would undoubtedly order her to do things that were nothing short of unlawful. Even for May, was it worth damaging her reputation?

_She might not even know me anymore!_ Kallie could feel anxiety building in the pit of her stomach. _No one would… but damn it, they would have to understand!_

At the very least, she knew Mrs. Eliot would—she had been the one to suggest him in the first place! It led Kallie to wonder if she had realized that she would have to go through this, and she suddenly felt again angered at the older woman. Damn it, how could she be so _thoughtless?_ So much for being valued as a daughter!

And… yet…

'_You said you would do whatever it takes to get May back.'_

Those words echoed inside her head again, and again Kallie could not ignore them. Kallie knew she had to remain loyal to her word, even if it meant becoming a criminal: the one thing she had always believed she would never become. All her life, she had been a law-abiding citizen; she would have willingly died in the name of justice. It seemed as though she couldn't control her fate after all.

_I've heard those words before…_

That was when she recalled the next meaningful words that had been told to her, what that voice had said to her in that dream. It was… silly, to take a dream's advice, and she wasn't even sure why it was still so sharply clear: _'Things will be about to change in your life, and there is no stopping this tide that is about to overwhelm you.' _What was even more frightening was that the forewarning was coming true, with astonishing accuracy.

_Can they… seriously be the ones? _Is there any actual truth in that dream? Kallie was unable to swallow the idea. It was simply ludicrous! Not unless she had more concrete evidence would she even consider the dream factual.

"Looks like the truck's still here after all," said Loz's voice from ahead of her.

Throughout most of the trip, her gaze had been fixed on the ground. Thus, she had failed to see the silver-haired men had stopped—at least, until she nearly collided with Loz. Taking a few steps back to maintain a healthy distance, Kallie looked past them to see a large truck parked in a cleared area of rubble. Could this be the very truck May had spoken of, that had taken her and all those children away to that place in the mystical forest?

"Where did you put the key, Loz?" The two brothers had paused near the front of the truck. Loz's back was to her, but she could see Yazoo fixating him with an inquiring look.

"Uh…" Gawkily, he scratched the back of his head, and Kallie almost began to snicker. "I… forgot?"

"You _forgot?_" repeated his brother deridingly, titling his head to the side a little.

His hand dropping back at his side, Loz shrugged. "Hey, I was, uh, preoccupied. With the kids, and everything."

Yazoo rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Opening up the driver's side, he peered into the truck. "Will you look at that—the key's still in the ignition." He looked back towards Loz. "I'll drive. You won't be able to with that leg."

"I guess that leaves me in the back," Kallie spoke out loudly.

Seemingly startled, Loz looked back at her, though only briefly before heading around to the other side of the truck. Yazoo, on the other hand, had ignored her completely and was hoisting himself up into the driver's seat. Kallie herself was about to climb into the back when a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Hold up."

She dashed forward just as Yazoo had begun to close the door, undoubtedly to shut her out before she could finish. But she had put her hand on the door itself, inhibiting its progress, and Yazoo had no choice but to hear her out. He looked down at her, looking annoyed as usual by her speaking (though he was secretly glad that he had the higher ground).

"We're going to stop in Kalm first, right?"

Silently as always, he nodded, and then, once she had moved her hand out of the way, he slammed the door shut. Only slightly miffed, she clambered up the side of the truck, using the tires for footholds, and tumbled rather ungracefully into the bed of the truck. Fervently hoping they hadn't noticed, she removed her backpack and settled back against the cab.

Peering through the window in the back, she watched as Loz shifted himself into a more comfortable position, while Yazoo attempted to start up the vehicle. The engine sputtered, then died away, although the second attempt yielded the truck at last roaring to life. Just from how rusted the mechanisms sounded as Yazoo shifted it into gear, Kallie knew she was in for one of the bumpiest rides of her life—it seemed the perfect precursor for just how the rest of her journey was going to go…

Yet, as she turned her eyes towards Midgar and what she could see of Edge, it was then something occurred to her for the first time. Being only vaguely able remember the village she had lived in before her parents had separated, if at all, Midgar and Edge had been all she had come to know for the past sixteen years. The friends and memories she had made—it had all been in those two cities.

And now, she would be leaving it all behind.

Speaking of her friends… she wondered how they were doing, if Mrs. Eliot had told everyone else yet of her abrupt departure. Kallie realized it was probably a bit early in the morning for that, though she still wondered how they would react. Undoubtedly, Colin and Lucie would be grieved to tears that their best friend had been kidnapped again. Rika and other friends in Edge would be dismayed and sad that they hadn't exchanged a proper farewell. And Mrs. Eliot… would be probably grieving as well by now.

_If __**only**__ I could see them…_ Settling back against the truck, she closed her eyes and sighed dolefully. _If only I had some kind of sign to know that they'll be okay._

And then, _something_ came to her, yet it was nothing like what she had expected.

Clear as though someone had projected the image on the inside of her eyelids, she could see a woman seated in the shade of a tree, leaning against its trunk. Before she had quite registered that in her mind's eye, the scene abruptly changed. This time, she could see someone zooming along a dirt road on a motorcycle, surrounded by open plains on either side. Startled by the unexpected visions, her eyes flew open to find herself still sitting in the back of the truck.

Unlike when she had awoken this morning from that nightmare in a cold sweat, she was not as perturbed as she had been then. Rather, she was puzzled. They were as crystal clear as if she had just been watching a film on a projector, and Kallie couldn't write it off as part of her imagination. First that prophetic dream, and now these visions… was she _really_ losing her sanity?

_Whatever happens, I'll definitely have lost it by the time this is over._

After another disgruntled glance through the dirtied window, Kallie again returned her gaze to the buildings of Edge in the distance. There it remained as they drove away, for it could be the last time she ever laid eyes on that place again, if something was to ever go wrong with her mission—a possibility that was more than tangible at this point.

_I guess this is goodbye, old life…_

* * *

The woman that been seated under the tree still remained there, having barely moved the whole time she had been there. As her eyes were also closed, it looked as though she was merely sleeping. Presently, however, her eyes flickered open, and she straightened up a little, bearing a troubled expression.

After a while had passed, during which she seemed to have been contemplating deeply, she soon stood and headed down the hill where, at the bottom, was a cottage. In the distance, the town of Kalm was visible. Inside the cottage, the woman's father, who was seated at a table pouring over various pages of notes and a map, looked up as she walked in.

"Gracious, you've really been neglecting your training lately, haven't you?" he said, chuckling lightly. Looking only half-amused, his daughter only went to lean back against the doorframe and look back out, at which he grew more solemn. "Is… something else the matter?"

"Yes, Father," she replied, still staring out the doorway. "She's… headed our way. I can sense it, growing ever closer."

Her father's brow furrowed even more, though he also paled slightly. He merely stared back down at his work before he sighed, abandoned the notes, and went to stand beside his daughter.

"It looks like we have no choice but to receive her," he said quietly, viewing the landscape beyond the door as well. "I guess the time… has finally come." His daughter nodded solemnly in agreement, and he turned to face her with earnest. "You will greet her… won't you?"

Nodding again, she met her father's eyes. "But you must too, you know."

"I know." His voice had grown even quieter. "I wouldn't know how much she's been told, but I assume she must know. Still…" A smile broke over his worn features. "After all these long, long years… I can't wait to see her again."

* * *

After being seated in the back of the truck for the longest time, the one thing Kallie wished she had brought was a watch. It made her realize just how much she had taken such a simple tool for granted, as she now wanted to know what the time was. She guessed that it had taken them about half an hour to exit Midgar, via some old road that had gone through the former slums. Now, they were somewhere out in the middle of the Midgar Wastelands, where nothing could be seen for miles but large rock formations, and endless plains of dirt.

The sun was also shining amazingly bright, and Kallie was forced to shield her eyes with her hand as she viewed the desolate landscape passing by them. Sometimes, she had tried to glanced over the side of the truck, to see if the grassy plains would be visible yet, though would instantly withdraw her head because of the dust flying into her eyes. Finally, she had decided to occupy herself with the slip of paper that read, 'Outskirts of Kalm'.

Of course, there really wasn't much more to glean from it than before. If anything, it would be harder now: the paper was hopelessly crumpled, and ragged at the edges. Kallie knew she ought to find a safer place than the pocket of her backpack to keep it, but she really didn't have anything better, even if this was the only possible clue that she had to the whereabouts of the kidnapper and her cousin.

_Somebody might recognize this handwriting, after all_, Kallie mused, attempting to smooth out the paper against her knee. She highly doubted it, as it was too probable that someone had faked this childish shorthand.

At that realization, a worry rose to the surface of her mind. What if this clue was meant to mislead her? What if nothing would come of it? Where would that leave her, then? He and May would be even farther away from her by that time! The silver-haired men would probably be utterly pissed and annoyed with her as well, and there was no telling what they might do, even if Yazoo had allowed her to help them.

Sighing at the gravity of her situation, Kallie slumped against the spare wheel in the back, beginning to think back on those images that had flashed so fleetingly through her mind, as it still bothered her. The woman seated under that tree had been completely unfamiliar to her, though she had a small inkling about that person on the motorcycle: she thought she had glimpsed blond hair. Could that have been the kidnapper?

_Nah, who am I to trust a vision like that?_ Kallie obviously believed in magic—in the world she lived in, it was hard not to. Thanks to materia, even the most ordinary of people could use magic, though she was quite a bit more skeptical about things like psychic abilities and spirits. Even if that dream was turning out to be eerily accurate, she wouldn't be quite the believer yet.

In their journey towards Kalm, there were a few incidents that saved Kallie from her boredom. More than once, a monster or two would force them to stop, and each of those times, the silver-haired men would effortlessly defeat them. With a mere Fire spell, Yazoo had set alight to a trio of Kalm Fangs. Loz, however, had impressed her the most. A pair of rogue Custom Sweepers had stood no chance against him; just by dealing one of them a punch, he sent it sailing into its companion and easily destroyed both.

As Loz had climbed back into the truck, smirking, Kallie was still gawking at the incredible display of power. That was simply impossible! No ordinary human could be that strong! But, whom was she kidding? She had already deduced that they weren't your everyday human being—if they were human at all.

By now, they had crossed into the grassy plains of Kalm at long last, and Kallie was glad not to be choking up any more dust. Rather, it was a lovely change of scenery. Instead of barren wasteland, there was nothing but rolling plains of grass, only broken by uprisings of rocky hills, and the air even felt fresher; she breathed it in, savoring the feel of the countryside that she had experienced only once or twice before. Glancing over the truck's side, Kallie was startled to spot the small town of Kalm in the distance, and her heart gave a thud.

_Now I'll know if anything will come of this clue…_

Inside the truck, meanwhile, Yazoo and Loz had spoken very little, partly because Loz had been so tired he had dozed off for a short while, only awakening when they had encountered a monster. After a few battles, though, Loz was very much awake, and feeling more satisfied now that he had vented some of his built-up stress. The same couldn't be said of his stomach, as it soon let out a discontent growl. As Loz cringed in embarrassment, Yazoo smirked.

"C'mon, give me a break," whined Loz. "I haven't eaten anything in a week." He settled back more into the seat, his hand over his stomach. "Do you think that girl will have anything?"

"I wouldn't know," Yazoo replied. "You can ask her when we stop at Kalm."

Loz grimaced at the prospect of waiting so long, though he consented. It wouldn't be that far till Kalm anyways. Another few minutes passed without them speaking, the green scenery flashing by, and finally Loz put forward a question he had been hesitant to ask.

"Yazoo… how'd that girl end up with us?"

At once, the air in the truck seemed to grow thicker with tension, as Yazoo looked none too pleased with the question. Loz saw his shoulders rise and fall slightly, as if he had needed to draw breath in order to control himself, and it made him burn more with curiosity; it would take a lot to faze Yazoo that much.

"She came to me yesterday in Midgar, while I was recovering in the church," he said at last. "She blamed me for having kidnapped her cousin a second time. Later, she returned to offer me shelter and her service, in exchange for my help in retrieving her cousin."

In hearing that, Loz sneered, unable to resist the rare opportunity to tease his brother. "You're gonna help out a _human?_ You're losing your touch, Yazoo."

Obviously not sharing in Loz's amusement, Yazoo's eyes narrowed. "Very funny."

Yet as Loz snickered, finding the situation greatly humorous, Yazoo lapsed into another pensive state. Again, he reflected on his first encounter with the girl, the one thing he had made sure to omit from his narration. Had she really been the one who had cast that Fire spell without materia—the girl who was impertinent, incompetent, and unexceptional? It had only been by luck that she had distracted Brother, and he refused to thank her for that.

_Now that Loz and I are reunited, is her presence even necessary anymore…?_

Midday had arrived by the time they had, at last, reached Kalm; more specifically, the outskirts of Kalm, just where Kallie hoped to go. The only problem she faced was where exactly in the outskirts she needed to visit, as the slip of paper was so very vague about it. The outskirts were bigger than she had expected, and she was sure it would take a while to investigate it all.

As Kallie pondered how to confess to Loz and Yazoo that she had no idea where to begin, the truck slowly came to a halt in the middle of the road. Knowing they wanted to learn her intentions, Kallie groaned, having drawn a complete blank. A second later, the door on the driver's side opened up.

Glancing through the window in the back, she saw Loz still sitting in the passenger's seat, obviously wanting to move his leg as little as possible. Yazoo, however, clambered out and now stood at the side of the truck, for once giving her his attention.

"So, for once you actually want to talk to me," Kallie remarked bitterly, climbing over the side of the truck and jumping to the ground. At the impact, she cringed a little, her muscles cramped from sitting for so long.

"Where exactly do you plan to start searching?" he asked her, disregarding her remark. Inside the truck, Kallie could partially see Loz. Was it her imagination, or was he snickering? Her suspicions seemed to be confirmed, as Yazoo's eyes flickered towards Loz briefly, looking annoyed.

"Er…" Already, Kallie was feeling flustered, and this time it was out of sheer embarrassment. How stupid must she appear right now, stuttering like an idiot. "I'm not sure, really. The only clue I have…" she added, seeing his expression turn to one of scorn, "Only tells me that I should go to Kalm's outskirts. That's all it says. Look, I'll show it to you."

Stepping up the tires again, Kallie reached for her bag and, pulling it out of the truck, placed it on the ground.

"Here." Whipping the paper out from its pocket, she held it out for him to see. But, Kallie could have saved herself the trouble—Yazoo only gave it an uninterested glance.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah, unfortunately." She scowled back at him. "What? I'm grateful to have even a scrap of paper to help me find my cousin! Can you at least help me search the outskirts?"

"Do you realize how long that could take?"

"No, but I hope you remember you agreed to help me until she was found!"

"I did, but clearly it will be a waste of my time."

Kallie stared at him incredulously. "_What_ did you say?"

Once more, he gave her that scornful look. "I have helped you enough by driving you here, and you should be grateful for that." He turned towards the truck door. "I have more important matters than your cousin to attend to."

"Wait, hold it, you!" As he clambered back inside, she dashed forward, yet this time she could not make it before he had shut the door. "I gave you shelter, you bastard! I fed your ungrateful mouth, and you said you would help me! I _need_ your help, damn it! But I guess that's too much to ask!"

Yet no matter how much she shouted and yelled her indignation, Kallie knew it was in vain. The moment Yazoo had shut that door, the truck's structure muffled the racket of her shouts, which were further deafened as he started up the vehicle, and then were finally lost as he drove back onto the road, away from her.

At that point, though, she had stopped her yelling. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he could see her standing there still, her chest rising and falling heavily. Her display of indignation, though, had not yet come to its end. The girl gave him a rude gesture before she picked up a stone and hurled it at them. Her aim wasn't that off, as it landed loudly somewhere in the back of the truck. But, it only amused him, and he smirked in satisfaction.

"Guess that takes care of her," Loz remarked, twisted around in his seat to peer at her through the window in the back. Still, he had been taken aback by how Yazoo had so suddenly abandoned her. "She was really annoying, huh?"

"And useless," Yazoo added, relieved that Loz agreed with him and had been able to witness what a nuisance she was.

How silly of him to think she could be extraordinary. She couldn't even figure out where to begin searching in Kalm, not to mention all she seemed to be capable of was running her worthless mouth and throw rocks at others. Now that Loz was back with him, he didn't need an ally like her. The girl would only serve to be a hindrance.

_And now, we can finally recover you, Mother._

* * *

Not far away, atop one of the rises of land, the woman had been sitting upon a rock, watching the entire scene. It had been fortunate for her that she had chosen this particular hill to wait for that girl to arrive, as it was a perfect lookout to watch the road. She had been surprised, though, when that truck had come to a stop not far down from where she held vigilance.

Rather impassively, she had watched the scene transpire between that girl and the silver-haired man. For some reason, she wasn't amazed to see it amount to some sort of argument, then to the silver-haired man climbing back into the truck and driving away, leaving the girl behind. The girl had not taken the situation lightly, yelling and throwing rude gestures and a rock at them until they had gone too far out of her reach. Obviously upset, the girl kicked her bag off the side of the road, then slumped to the ground.

_She hasn't changed one bit, has she?_ The woman thought with a certain degree of amusement, and figured the time had come to finally come face-to-face with this girl. After they had been apart for so long.

Rising, the woman barely surveyed the ground far below her for more than a second before she leapt off. Despite the fifty-foot drop, however, she landed as nimbly as a cat, and the fall hadn't fazed her a bit. Straightening up, she stretched a crick out of her neck and approached the girl on the other side of the road.

The girl appeared not to have noticed her approaching, though it was no wonder why, as her gaze was still fixated glumly on the truck far in the distance, and it wasn't until the woman had stepped across the dirt road that she became aware of her presence. Abruptly, her head snapped towards the woman, her expression not exactly cordial.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked gruffly, with little room for tact. The woman, however, wasn't fazed in the slightest by the rude greeting.

"Your name is Kallie, isn't it?" the woman asked.

Kallie's jaw dropped open, and all traces of anger were gone. "Y-yeah… How the _hell_ do you know me?"

"I know you, because I am here to help you."


	8. The Outskirts Of Kalm

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 8**

_The Outskirts Of Kalm_

Nothing Kallie could think of could quite describe the range of emotions she was feeling right now, watching the silver-haired men as they left her in the dust. After that fit she had just thrown, she now felt extremely foolish and like nothing less than a child that had thrown a tantrum. With utter feelings of defeat, she vented more vexation by kicking her bag off to the side of the road and slumping down, sulking.

_I was right all along about them._ Kallie still glared off down the road at the vehicle receding in the distance. _And Mrs. Eliot was wrong. Damn it, how can she have __**ever**__ thought they would actually help me?_

Amid the betrayal and indignation Kallie felt, though, she was beginning to feel panicky. Now that her distrust in the silver-haired men had been confirmed, how was she going to rescue her cousin? Without an ally of any sort and lack of experience in combat, this 'rescue' mission was going to become nothing more than a suicidal trip after all. Distressed, Kallie ran her fingers through her bangs, feeling more hopeless than ever.

All the while, she failed to see the young woman approaching her.

The first instance Kallie had become aware of her presence, it had been when she had heard the rustling of grass on the opposite side of the road. At first, she had thought it might merely be the wind, or possibly an animal of some sort. When she heard the sound of dirt and pebbles being crushed underfoot, however, undeniably by a person, Kallie instantly snapped her head in that direction.

Usually, Kallie might show at least some cordiality and politeness whenever a stranger approached her—often, a lot. Given the circumstances, though, she was not in the best of humor. At seeing the woman, she fixed her with a glower before inquiring gruffly:

"Who the hell are you?"

The woman stared at her, seemingly impassive for a few seconds, before rolling her eyes with what sounded like a small sigh. Her reaction was strange to Kallie, as if she had expected a greeting like that out of her. It was difficult to tell if she had been offended, as her expression was swift to return to something quite Yazoo-like, a face free of any betraying emotion.

Her response then was definitely unsettling.

"Your name is Kallie, isn't it?" the woman asked.

All of the vexation Kallie had felt up to that point had vanished, replaced with utter amazement. She gaped, open-mouthed, at the woman, who patiently waited for her reply.

"Y-yeah," Kallie managed to stammer at last. "But… how the _hell_ do you know me?"

Scrutinizing the woman more closely, her appearance alone was intriguing. Her brown hair fell all the way to her collarbone (though Kallie quickly realized it was cropped much shorter in the back), framing her gray eyes and revealing the small, blue crystal earrings dangling from her earlobes. From a glance, it was also deducible that she was a fighter: her figure was athletic, exhibited by her short, blue jacket-like dress that had a militaristic edge to it, with white thigh boots and gray tights that covered her legs, and armor over her kneecaps. Of course, what confirmed her occupation was the long chain that ended in a sickle, hung in a coil from her thick white belt.

The woman did not seem to be bothered by Kallie gawking so openly at her. Her next response, though, was equally as unsettling as the one before it.

"I know you, because I have come to help you."

At that, she experienced the utmost elation; Kallie could have gotten onto her knees in all of her gratitude. Right now, she couldn't have wished for anything more than to have a savior exactly when she needed one, and hardly cared that it was a stranger.

"You've really come to help me?" Kallie rose to her feet to make better eye contact with her, finding they were actually nearly the same height. "You know about—?"

"I can explain later," the woman interjected. "Right now, we have a couple of silver-haired men to catch up to."

And like that, Kallie's elation plummeted. "What?"

Turning slightly, the woman pointed over her shoulder towards a nearby rise of land. "I had been watching for you from there, and it just so happened I was able to witness that argument. He abandoned you, didn't he?"

"Sure as hell he did," Kallie muttered flatly. "After all I'd done to help him."

"Then we've got a debtor on our hands," the woman spoke up, and Kallie cringed. "And all debtors need to make their payment."

"What? Wait! You're not actually gonna go after them, are you? That's suicidal!"

"I can handle them," she replied assuredly, while Kallie continued to look on in disbelief. "I recommend you stay back until it's over."

Still deeply nonplussed, Kallie could only wonder how she could be so sure of herself, though her train of thoughts ended as the woman swiftly began to turn away, and Kallie stopped her.

"Hang on." Patiently, the woman paused again and looked back at her. "Maybe you're about to go off and get yourself killed, but can I at least get your name?"

"It's… Aurei."

With that, the woman called Aurei took off down the road with startling speed; Kallie was simply astonished to see how much ground she was able to cover in only a matter of moments. Very soon, Kallie found that the only way she could hope to keep Aurei in her sights was if she picked up her bag and began running down the road after her. All the while, Kallie could not believe that Aurei would actually be facing the two silver-haired men—on her own.

_Damn, she's gotta be crazy to even __**think**__ of doing something like that!_

As Kallie endeavored to catch up, Aurei had already gained ground on the truck with its silver-haired occupants, who did not seem to be aware of her approaching. Barely out of breath, she ascended to the top of a tall boulder, not far behind the truck. Halting at its summit, Aurei raised a fingerless-gloved hand, concentrating on a patch of road ahead of them.

Indeed, Aurei had gone completely unnoticed by Yazoo and Loz. Loz was merely watching the landscape going by on the opposite side from her, wishing he had at least asked the girl for some food before leaving her behind. Yazoo, on the other hand, was savoring Kallie's absence, so joyous that getting rid of such a nuisance would be so easy. They both were unsuspecting of what was about to hit them.

Until it had sprouted up in the middle of the road.

Were it not for Yazoo's lightning reflexes, he probably would have crashed head-on into the huge wall of icicles that had so suddenly formed in front of them. Instead, he was able to jam on the brakes, Loz letting out a startled yell as the truck screeched to a halt, a scarce inch from the icicle wall.

As unexpected as the incident was, they were less ruffled than they were on the ready for a battle. Climbing out, Loz and Yazoo instantly began looking about for the culprit. Had a subordinate of Brother heard of what had happened and was pursuing them, or possibly even Brother himself? (How foolish of them to have left without checking that he was really dead!) Yet, both were bewildered to see the unfamiliar woman perched upon the crest of rock only twenty feet away.

"Who're you?" Loz instantly asked. Beside him, Yazoo had drawn Velvet Nightmare, ready to use it even though there was only a single bullet left.

"I've merely come to help someone named Kallie," the woman responded, and both brothers flinched at that name. "You abandoned her, and she wasn't very happy about that."

"She's of no more importance to us," Yazoo spoke coolly, pointing the gun threateningly at her. "She was useless, and would have only been in our way."

Aurei tilted her head, in a rather challenging manner. "But, as far as I'm aware, you are indebted to her because she helped you."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he shot a glare towards Loz, whom had given him a sneering glance.

"If you wish to keep your head in one piece," hissed Yazoo, Velvet Nightmare now aimed directly between her eyes, "Then I suggest you leave now."

The woman did not appear daunted in the slightest, only giving the firearm an indifferent look as if aware that he was short on ammunition. "If you come with me quietly, we can resolve this and avoid any casualties."

The warning made Yazoo and Loz both scoff. To Yazoo, it wouldn't matter to blow her brains out, as it seemed she didn't even have them in the first place. Loz especially thought her to be bluffing; she appeared to be no stronger than the woman he had fought in the church. Considering the odds now, this woman would be defeated in no time.

"How about we play instead?"

Chuckling haughtily, Loz cracked his knuckles and braced himself in a battle-ready position. Although his leg still pained him, he wasn't about to let that stop him in a fight as easy as this. Yazoo had said nothing, but a contemptuous smirk had replaced his irritated expression. Surveying them both again, she then detached the sickle-chain from her belt and uncoiled it, all in a very stern manner. There was no mistaking she meant business.

"If that's how you want it," she said, "Then so be it."

That was Loz's cue to attack. Invoking his extreme speed, he leapt at Aurei in an azure blur, confident that he could already end the battle. What he did not expect was his fist making contact with stone instead of his intended target, shattering the top of the boulder. He paused, glancing around for his adversary, yet he did not have to look far before he felt a thick, cold chain encircle his neck.

As he had rushed toward her, Aurei had somersaulted right over his head, so swiftly he had not noticed her. Still in midair, she had tossed the chain at him, ensnaring his neck and shoulders like a lariat. Yazoo, spying his brother in distress, had instantly hastened to his aid, preparing to cast Fire at her. Seeing him approaching, she yanked back on the chain, releasing Loz as she hurled him at Yazoo with surprising strength.

Quickly canceling the spell, Yazoo jumped back as Loz came sailing past. Thankfully free of the chain, Loz flipped backwards and skidded to a halt into a crouching position. As Loz and Yazoo both straightened up, they both now eyed Aurei with heightened wariness.

"We can end this now if you want, before either of you get injured any further." Cold gray eyes surveyed them as she twirled the end of the chain, waiting for their response.

Considering her small victory to have been a mere fluke, however, their only response was to continue. Yazoo now made the first move, re-conjuring the Fire spell and casting it at her, though she quickly sidestepped it, a silver glow forming in the palm of her hand. Realizing she was going to retaliate with a Blizzard spell, Yazoo readied himself to evade it, but she suddenly feinted and instead cast the spell towards Loz.

Caught unaware, Loz was unable to dodge out of the way before the Blizzara spell hurled him backwards. He doubled over, falling to one knee while clutching his chest, where there was still something of a silver glow from the glacial magic. Angered at her insistence to attack his brother, sensing a strategy to be rid of them one at a time, Yazoo lunged for her, swinging Velvet Nightmare. Calmly, Aurei stretched the chain before her, so Velvet Nightmare clattered onto the taut chain instead.

For a few moments, they struggled to overpower the other, and then Aurei suddenly whirled, the chain whipping him hard where his broken rib was. Though Yazoo had to grit his teeth to stifle a grunt of pain, he was instantly on guard again. Straightening, he raised a hand to cast Fire yet again at her, but then felt the chain suddenly wrap around his arm and yank him forward. Concurrently, a series of swift kicks flashed towards him, all striking him right across his face and chest, knocking him backwards.

Rendered thoroughly disoriented, the world seemed to spin wildly before his eyes, and he knew Velvet Nightmare had fallen from his hand. Stumbling, nearly falling over, he attempted to steady himself again as quickly as possible, knowing she would surely take advantage of this weakness.

Instead, his vertigo cleared just in time for him to see Loz deal her a punch from behind, causing her to cry out before she hit the ground, her chain-sickle flying from her hand. Aurei wasn't given a chance to recover before Loz yanked her up by the scruff of her neck, forcing her onto her knees. Retrieving Velvet Nightmare, Yazoo approached Aurei as Loz gripped her in a tight armlock.

"You fool." Yazoo simply raised Velvet Nightmare to point at her forehead. Winded from Loz's blow, she did not respond as she first looked up the barrel of Velvet Nightmare, then up at him. "You don't realize what a mistake you've made."

While she had seemed to be at their mercy, the air around them had begun to grow chilly, and a wind had begun to pick up. Neither paying heed to it, Yazoo cocked the gun, preparing to put an end to this foolish human. Yet, before his finger could even touch the trigger, his one chance to exterminate her was whisked out of his hands.

The wind they had mistakenly chosen to ignore had turned into a gust, and the temperature had dramatically dropped simultaneously. At the same moment, that silver glow of Aurei's was now not just radiating from her palm, but from her entire body. Alarmed and bewildered, Yazoo hastened to pull the trigger, though not before a tornado-like wind suddenly kicked up around Aurei.

The gust wrenched his arm upwards, and he fired that last precious bullet into space, narrowing missing his brother, before the gun again left his grasp. Likewise, the gust had forced Loz to release Aurei, and he staggered backwards, shielding himself from the biting wind. Freed from his grasp, Aurei rose to her feet again; with the silver glow emanating brighter than ever, she spread out both her palms towards Loz and Yazoo.

At that gesture, the tornado-like winds abruptly shifted, howling towards each of the brothers. With no possible way to dodge the attack, the winds tore through them along with the silver glow, hurling them backwards in a freezing, wintry blast. Yazoo was sent flying into the back of the truck, striking its metal surface before crumpling to the ground, feeling as though his breath had frozen inside his chest.

As quickly as they had been summoned, the winds died down, until there was barely a breeze. In its wake, despite the mild day, the ground around them glittered with a thick layer of frost where the glacial tornado had been. A faint, silver hue also hung in the air, and Yazoo could see the white haze of his breath.

In the center of it all, where the ice was its thickest, stood Aurei. Although she appeared to be somewhat drained, she was nonetheless just as composed as before. Calmly, she picked up her chain-sickle and dusted off the frost, while Yazoo endeavored to pull himself upright using the side of the truck. Opposite from him further down the road, Loz was attempting to stand as well, yet with even more difficulty because of his leg.

"If only you had come quietly, we could have avoided all of this," Aurei said to them, though with not a trace of contempt, eying their attempts to rise back to their feet. She was met with stubborn glares from both brothers, even if they had realized she was right. Neither Loz nor Yazoo had the strength to retaliate while she was easily ready for more battling, and with no intention of holding back. They loathed admitting it, but all they could do was accept defeat.

"So we learned the hard way," Yazoo breathed bitterly, finally having risen to his feet, though still clung to the truck. His chest hurt worse than ever, amplified by the iciness in his lungs. On Aurei's other side, Loz said nothing against Yazoo's surrender. In fact, he looked only too relieved; he had abandoned the idea of standing and now merely sat there, clutching his leg.

Aurei simply nodded, but before she could answer, everyone's attention was caught by the sound of frost being crushed underfoot. Their heads swiveling towards the source, they saw none other than Kallie approaching them. It looked as though she had been running, for she was out of breath as well.

"Hello again." Her voice was underlined with sarcasm as she folded her arms bitterly. "Missed me?"

The snide question, of course, had been entirely intended for Loz and Yazoo, primarily the latter. Watching from a safe distance down the road, nothing had satisfied Kallie more than to see Aurei whipping both of their sorry behinds, and she made a mental note to thank her heartily later.

"We ought to be going, then." Aurei coiled back up the chain-sickle and reattached it to her belt. "If you would allow me, I'll drive your truck to my place in Kalm. I can heal and give you all lodging, for the time being."

Although Yazoo had been pretending both Aurei and Kallie were nonexistent, staggering to where Velvet Nightmare had been blown, he glanced up at her.

"Very well," he intoned rather stiffly after a moment's deliberation, though the idea of a cure at last clearly appealed to him. Picking up his iced-over gun, he looked up in time to see Loz stagger to his feet, and both painfully made their way back to the truck.

"Aurei, that was amazing!" Kallie exclaimed, after having hastened up to Aurei's side. She was a little put off, though, when Aurei did not acknowledge the compliment. Ignoring her in that awfully Yazoo-like manner, she called said silver-haired man's attention.

"You'll be in the back, I presume?" she asked him, though was only met with a deadpan before he wordlessly strode towards the back of the truck. It was then the dreadful realization struck Kallie.

"Oh, hell no," she muttered under her breath, taking a slight step backwards. "I am not sitting anywhere near that—"

"So would you like to sit between him and I?" interposed Aurei rather icily, gesturing with her head towards Loz, who had found his way into the passenger's seat. Kallie's response was more or less the same as Yazoo's, silently answering in the form of a glare before grudgingly turning away.

Clambering into the bed of the truck via her usual method, Kallie saw Yazoo was already seated there. Expectedly, he wasn't looking happy in the slightest, still trying to pick away the ice on his firearm. There were still patches of frost on his leather as well.

_That was so damn cool_, Kallie reflected admirably. She had certainly underestimated Aurei, probably as much as her opponents had. But, who wouldn't have thought victory for her hadn't been possible? Two against one—the odds already had been stacked enough!

Having watched from a distance as Aurei had defeated them, when she had previously been at their mercy, Kallie still couldn't believe it. There was no doubt in the skills Aurei possessed in combat. Plus… Aurei herself said she had come to help Kallie, and it made Kallie think of only one thing:

_Maybe saving May isn't going to be so suicidal after all._

* * *

It had been just as Tifa had feared.

The phone she had brought down from the office rang at around eleven that day, while she had been washing dishes. Seeing it was Cloud, she had believed it merely had something to do with the deliveries, even at the sound of his weary, rather disconcerted voice. Tifa, however, had soon found her optimism to be undermined. In fact, so were all her cheerful hopes about the possibility of a finally peaceful future. All it had taken Cloud was to speak three words:

"Tifa, they're back."

Having been in the middle of scrubbing some plates, one of them actually dropped from Tifa's hand into the sink. Luckily, her grip on the phone had not slipped, or it would have gone tumbling into the dishwater as well. Instead, she merely held the device tighter to her ear.

"What… do you mean, Cloud?" She tried not to falter as she picked the thankfully unbroken plate back up. "Who's… 'they'?"

But, even before Cloud confirmed it himself, Tifa only knew too well whom 'they' happened to be referring to.

"Sephiroth's remnants, Tifa. They're alive. They're still alive."

This time, Tifa did not drop the sponge nor the phone, yet the news was unsettling enough that she might have. Not wanting to risk it, she placed her sponge back on the side of the sink, dried her hands on a towel, and retreated into the kitchen, so the customers at the bar wouldn't overhear.

"A-are you sure?" Tifa made to clarify, numbly attempting to process the information that her mind simply wouldn't accept.

"Damn sure. They attacked me while I was out in Midgar, and they knocked me unconscious. They must have thought I was dead, because they left me here. They're gone now, but they still have to be nearby."

Only Cloud would have been able to tell her of this shocking account with such steeled calm, even if Tifa could sense he was ruffled internally. For her, simply hearing the news was enough to unnerve her.

"Are they all alive, Cloud? All three of them?"

"No." (Tifa heaved a sigh of relief.) "Just the two named Loz and Yazoo, the ones who should've been killed in that explosion. I don't know how the hell they could, but they survived."

For once, Tifa could not find her usual optimistic words. This was different from Sephiroth's defeat two years ago, when she had also convinced herself that he would never return. That time, however, the realization that Sephiroth was still covertly at work had come slowly, with the rise of Geostigma; encountering the remnant in Aerith's church had only confirmed what she had gradually deduced. Only now, Tifa had believed Sephiroth's second fall was final. Ultimate. He should have been dead for good.

Now, though, Tifa knew she should have known better. It was Sephiroth they were dealing with, after all. In life, death, or spirit, he would never stand to be defeated.

"Tifa?" came Cloud's voice from the other end. "Are you still there?"

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Tifa smiled, even if Cloud wasn't able to see. "Yes, yes I am, Cloud."

"I'm coming straight back to 7th Heaven. The delivery service is going to have to be put on hold."

Automatically, Tifa nodded, knowing well he meant to recuperate here first, and then leave straightaway to pursue them. This time, though, she did not want him to do it alone. No, she simply wasn't going to allow him to fight on his own any more.

"Do you want me to gather the troops? You know, call AVALANCHE again?"

There was a long pause as Cloud seemingly thought over the matter. "Yeah, I'll want the others' help. I'm going to need it again. Can you contact them for me?"

That made Tifa beam, but before she could answer, Cloud spoke again. "And, Tifa… can I ask another favor of you?"

"Of course."

"Can you also… tell Denzel and Marlene about what's happened?"

Tifa whitened; to think of their possible reactions just wrenched her heart. Nonetheless, she knew it had to be done. There could be no hiding this situation from the children, considering they had once been in the midst of the silver-haired men—she just hoped that had been the last time they would ever be in their grasp.

"I will, Cloud."

"All right. I'll see you when I get home."

"Please take care, Cloud."

For several long moments after the call had ended, she merely stood there in the kitchen, her hand that held the phone on her hip, her free hand placed to her brow. But while the full scale of her anxiety and agitation had set in, she soon rose to the occasion with poise. Heading upstairs, she put the phone back in her office before walking out into the hallway.

"Denzel? Marlene?" she called out, coming to the door of their bedroom. Marlene was seated on the floor, making her usual crayon doodles, while Denzel lay on his bed, reading.

"Tifa!" Marlene exclaimed, leaping to her feet and running up to Tifa with a drawing in hand. "Look at what I drew! Can we get lunch early today?"

Marlene's innocent cheerfulness, no matter the situation, never failed to brighten up Tifa. Chuckling, she took the drawing the young girl held out to her, and laughed again at seeing it was another sketch of Cloud. Unsurprisingly, he had certainly been appearing in her drawings an awful lot lately, usually depicting him saving her from familiar monsters and humanlike figures she could only assume were their silver-haired adversaries.

"That's so sweet, Marlene," Tifa commented, brushing back Marlene's bangs as the young girl beamed. "But no, I'm afraid lunch won't be ready just now."

"Are we in trouble?" Denzel was quick to ask, book-marking his place and setting it aside as he sat up. Tifa merely chuckled again, albeit not as heartily.

"Of course not! I just… need to talk to you two."

At both of their curious expressions, Tifa took Marlene by the hand and guided her over to Denzel's bed, where they had a seat. Situated between the two of them, she looked at them each in turn before speaking, her voice now more grave. The doodle of Cloud was still clutched in her hands, resting in her lap.

"There's something important I have to tell you."

* * *

No matter how many times Loz had glanced over at the woman to his left, he was still unable to comprehend just how easily she had beaten him and Yazoo. Only Brother had ever triumphed over the silver-haired brothers, and even then, he hadn't fully defeated them. Plus, he had fallen that morning at their hands just as easily as he had that night in the forest. Not even the victory over the traitor, though, could eradicate the shame he felt.

Somehow, this woman had managed to best both of them without breaking a sweat. Even if she had lost the upper hand once, Loz had underestimated her skills. She might not have appeared to be any stronger than that woman in the church, but she had proven herself as a force to be reckoned with. Nonetheless, Loz was stubbornly convinced that their injuries were to blame for their defeat.

Speaking of their injuries, the only current, alleviating thought was that of her offer to heal them, perhaps in restitution for the damage. Maybe the battle hadn't been for the best, and it might have made their conditions even worse, but they might not otherwise have gotten this opportunity. Yet, for someone apparently as adroit as her, she seemed to be placing her trust in the two of them already. It seemed incredibly idiotic; look at what had happened to the orange-haired girl, after all.

_Is there something more to it?_ Loz might not be completely analytical like Yazoo and Kadaj, yet that didn't mean he couldn't sense if something seemed suspicious, and that was what he was getting right now. There had to be some deeper motive to her offer, and that was something he ought to find out.

"Whaddya want with us?" he asked brusquely.

The moment he had asked that question, though, he felt more foolish. Blatant interrogating wasn't likely to elicit any information; instead, it had most likely thrown caution to the winds for her.

"What I want?" There was a slight inflection of amusement. "I just want to help Kallie, that's all. Does that satisfy you?"

"Not really," Loz responded, somewhat lamely, and he cringed; this really was something he should have left to Yazoo. Perhaps he didn't have as much eloquence as Kadaj had had, but he would definitely be far more discreet, and he was much better at gathering information anyway—that had ended up being his primary role anyways. Besides, Yazoo knew more about the situation than Loz did.

"If you'd prefer not to be healed, I can drop you and your brother off right now, like you ditched Kallie."

"Of course we wanna be healed!" That promise was the only thing that had made him climb into the truck and let her drive. "It's just… who're you anyways? Where're you really taking us?"

"For future references, my name is Aurei. As for our destination, we're almost there."

At that announcement, Loz was thoroughly relieved; the likelihood of gleaning anything from her was hopeless. Sure enough, after only a minute more of driving, a cottage at the crest of a slope came into sight, built against another tall uprising of land, and in the distance beyond was Kalm. Veering the truck off the road, she drove it up towards the cottage and parked a few yards away.

Loz wasn't the only one to be relieved by the journey's end. With all the tension between her and Yazoo, Kallie was all too eager to be out of this vehicle. They hadn't spoken once, and had remained staring out in opposite directions at the passing panorama. When the truck's rusty brakes had sounded, Kallie had jumped out of the vehicle almost straightaway.

As she stretched, Kallie looked over the cottage that was apparently Aurei's home. With a thrill of exhilaration, she realized this must be part of the outskirts of Kalm. Her clue was turning out to be fruitful after all! All she had to do was approach Aurei about the matter…

"It's a nice place you have here," Kallie said, after Aurei had clambered out of the truck.

"Thank you," replied Aurei, then shut her door and proceeded towards the cottage. Pleased that her compliment had been acknowledged this time, Kallie followed her zealously as she unlocked the cottage's door.

The interior of the cottage, Kallie saw as she entered, wasn't much bigger than her apartment back in Edge. To her immediate left was a small kitchen, to her right the laundry room, and in front of her a living room area. On either side beyond it was situated a bedroom, though that was all she could see of the cottage. Nonetheless, it seemed quite cozy and homey.

"Are you the only one who lives here?" Kallie asked casually, meandering out into the living room.

"I live here with my father. Right now, he's probably out on the field somewhere." Aurei seemed to be annoyed by her father's absence. "He's what you might call an ecologist; he keeps an eye on the monster population in this area, documenting their movements and their numbers."

That bit of information surprised Kallie. "Does he work for W.R.O.?"

"In a way."

At that point, both had realized that the silver-haired men hadn't followed them to the cottage, and they peered out through the open door. The brothers were still standing by the truck, conversing very quietly.

"What the hell could they be talking about?" Kallie muttered, staring past Aurei at them. "Can you hear what they're saying?"

"You think my hearing's any better?"

"No." Kallie was a little taken aback at the rebuttal. "It's just—I don't trust them. At all."

"I'm not surprised." Leaning back against the doorframe, it seemed as though Aurei was going to keep watch on them.

"You don't know the half of it," grumbled Kallie. "You know… how do you know me? I appreciate your help and all, but I've never even seen or heard of you before in my entire life. Please, I just want a straight answer."

Kallie's approach to the situation might have been rather blunt and harsh, but her patience was already frayed by today's events. She was tired of being kept in the dark, and here was someone who could finally provide her with that insight she so desperately needed—not to mention she could be that very person who had sent her the package. That was what baffled Kallie, though: why didn't Aurei reference it yet?

Aurei, of course, was silent for a long while, still watching Loz and Yazoo (only the latter seemed aware of her gaze, while the other brother remained oblivious). Finally, she drew a long breath, as if it was something she had been forbidden to speak of.

"I had hoped Father would be here by the time you asked that," she said. "But, I guess it's up to me to tell you." With earnest, Aurei looked Kallie in the eye, her attention completely averted from the silver-haired men. "I've… known you for quite some time, Kallie. Since the day you were born, in fact. Were you old enough… you might have known me too."

"I could have known you…?" She frowned at Aurei, more puzzled than ever. "What are you saying?"

Silver-gray eyes looked at her, more earnestly than ever. "I'm saying… we're related, Kallie. We're family. I'm… your sister."

Kallie just stared.

_What… did she… just say?_

If anything could deal a shock to Kallie's system, that would have been it. It was an even stronger one than the kidnapper had dealt to her the night before last, which had already been enough to knock her unconscious. Kallie almost didn't register what Aurei had said at first—was she just pulling her leg?

"You're… You're my… _what?_"

"We're sisters, Kallie," Aurei confirmed, bowing her head slightly. She couldn't be kidding; she seemed far too serious and stoical to be the jokester type. "I guess… Mother didn't tell you about me, while our family was living apart."

"No, n-not really…"

Kallie lapsed into complete silence, now trying to recall everything she could of her life before her parents' separation, of what little she knew. It had happened when she had only been three, so Aurei was right: she would have been too young to remember anything at all. The little that she did remember, she had thought it was simply… a dream, though she could never have imagined herself having an actual sister. May had filled that role all of her life.

As for her father, she couldn't remember him either. Undoubtedly upset over their division, her mother, Teres, had probably left behind or destroyed any pictures of him. Every time Kallie had tried to question her about him, she would snap back, clam up, or change to an entirely different topic. Still burning with curiosity, she had finally gone to Uncle Neil for the answers; thankfully, he had been able to supply them.

What Uncle had told her had been all she had ever known of her father. His name was Emery, his surname never revealed. While she had figured it was simply dissent between him and her mother that had caused them to part, however, it was far more serious than she had imagined. Not long after Kallie's birth, her mother had suffered infertility, and therefore could not have another child again. Less than a year later, her father had confessed that he had been seeing another woman.

It went without saying how things had gone from there. Torn and heartbroken, Teres had not stayed another night. Via what means Uncle never knew, he soon heard from his sister that she had arrived in Midgar with the three-year-old Kallie, and had found herself a job and an apartment. For nearly ten years, the two of them had lived like that together, until that one fateful morning when Kallie had awakened to an empty household; with no one else to claim her after Mom's disappearance, she had gone to live with her Uncle Neil and his wife. Still not a trace of her had been found since…

"I suppose you know why our parents separated, then," came Aurei's voice, rather unexpectedly, and Kallie was jolted out of her reminiscing. She must have been silent for a total of five minutes while she had been remembering everything.

"Yeah…" Kallie was a bit uncomfortable all of a sudden. Was Aurei that illegitimate child born from that relationship with that other woman? "So, does that make you my younger sister?"

"No." Aurei was obviously not pleased that Kallie had labeled her as that child (and especially since Kallie had just abashedly recalled that Aurei had known her since her birth). "I'm two years older than you."

Kallie had thought as much. Uncle had either omitted the fact Kallie had an older sister, or hadn't known at all. "So… what happened to, um, that woman your… our father was seeing?"

It was awkward indeed, after all these years, to be able to call someone her father. After hearing Uncle's story, Kallie had actually not thought much on her father, though every time she did it was tinged with injustice. Kallie couldn't describe how much it pained her to be directly related to someone who had committed adultery like her father had. She wouldn't have felt sorry for the illegitimate child either.

"We don't know." Her voice was quite monotonous. "Father had told her that he was married, and she left him too. All I know of their child is that he's our half-brother, Raide. He would be seventeen by now, I think."

So, Kallie did have yet another sibling, and she nearly chortled at his name. But, thinking of criminal matters had brought back to mind the very thing she had planned to question Aurei about, before this sibling business had come into play. Despite this surreal reality, that she was suddenly speaking to a long-lost sister, she was keen on telling Aurei all that she could about May. Surely, with the fact that May was her cousin too, her concern ought to be doubled—if she didn't know about it already.

Once again, however, the opportunity was snatched from her. Whatever clandestine discussion Loz and Yazoo had been having had ended, and they were now approaching the cottage. Kallie groaned, slumping more against the wall.

"You would like to be healed now?" Aurei asked them as they came within earshot, her hand resting casually on the belt where the chain-sickle was fastened.

"As soon as possible," answered Yazoo, reaching the doorway that Aurei still leaned against. Beside him, Loz had said nothing, but looked paler than usual with pain and the limp was far more prominent.

"Then have a seat." Shutting the door behind the silver-haired men, Aurei gestured to the couch situated in the living room. "I'll be with you in a moment. Follow me, Kallie."

Picking up her bag, Kallie willingly followed Aurei into one of the bedrooms, which Kallie assumed was Aurei's personal space. It had the basic furnishings: a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a closet. Other than that, though, it was rather plain and simple, and did not give much more insight about Aurei.

"I guess I'm sleeping in here for the time being," Kallie surmised, plopping her bag in a corner before removing her boots.

"You can have my bed. I'll put a cot in here for myself." Opening up the closet, Aurei took a metal box down from one of the shelves, and Kallie recognized it as being a container for materia. Vaguely, she noted that Aurei still bore the chain-sickle, and it amused Kallie that anyone could be practically symbiotic with his or her weapon.

"How did you learn to fight with that?" Rarely had she ever heard of anybody who wielded a weapon like that either. But, this was also the perfect opportunity to finally bring up the mysterious package.

"Years of training. It takes a while to master a weapon like this."

"Then… how long would it take to master a chakram?"

Inquisitively, Aurei turned to Kallie as she dug through her bag, where she had decided to stash the mysterious chakrams for the time being. Taking out the same bundle in which they had been delivered to her, she unwrapped the cloth and held out one of the chakrams for Aurei to see. At that, the first true emotion Aurei had exhibited flashed across her face; it was that of surprise and shock.

"Where… did you get these?" Her eyes had widened in amazement as she dropped the box of materia onto the bed and took the chakram from Kallie, inspecting it thoroughly. There was one thing for sure: Aurei was not the mysterious sender.

"It came in the mail, believe it or not. Do you recognize them?"

"These… used to belong to our mother."

Kallie's jaw dropped.

"Y-you're sure?" Kallie would have never expected an answer like that.

"I've seen a photo of our mother holding these exact same chakrams, when she was on one of her archeological expeditions. She never did fight with them, but you never knew she had these in her possession, did you?"

"No… Even Uncle didn't say… our Uncle Neil," she added, for Aurei's information. "I'd been living with him all this time. At least… until he died of Geostigma a few months ago."

Aurei's eyes lowered. "I'm… sorry to hear that." There was a long pause as she examined the chakram further. "Kallie, would you like to learn how to wield these chakrams?"

The offer held Kallie agape for a few seconds, but she accepted with the utmost alacrity. "Yeah, sure as hell I do! Do you know how to use chakrams too?"

"I… know enough to teach you the basics. How does that sound?"

Kallie grinned. "Best damn thing I've heard in two days, ever since May was kidnapped."

It was then Kallie remembered she had not told Aurei a single thing about May's kidnapping and, as she deduced from Aurei's incredulous stare, that her long-lost sister hadn't a single inkling about it either.

"'Kidnapped'?" repeated Aurei, further surprised.

"Yeah. She's my—_our_—little cousin, and she's the only reason why I'd be here."

From there, Kallie launched into the full account of May's kidnapping: coming home to an empty apartment, the teenage kidnapper on the fire escape, challenging him before being overwhelmed by his unexpected strength and getting knocked out by some electrical charge. She was especially eager to tell her of how she had obtained the chakrams.

"My neighbor told me I got a package in the mail, and when I opened it, I found those chakrams inside. Also… there was a slip of paper inside too, and that's how I knew to go to Kalm."

Again, Kallie rummaged through her bag and procured the slip of paper that had now proved to be a vital clue. Unlike how Yazoo had treated it with such indifference, Aurei revealed intent interest.

"Do you know who sent you that package?"

Kallie shook her head. "I was going to ask you if you had because it led me here. Obviously not, I guess."

"You guess right."

Still, was it Kallie's imagination, or was there something like worry creasing her features? If there had been any, though, it was gone in a flash.

"I think we've been chatting long enough. Our guests are probably upset that I haven't healed them yet."

* * *

"How long have they been talking?" Loz asked irritably from his seat on the sofa, his head supported by one hand as his elbow rested on the armrest. "She said she was gonna heal us."

His irritation had only served to annoy Yazoo even further, his own patience being chafed by the wait. Thus, he took to ignoring Loz, silently staring out the frontal window in the kitchen, although he was also straining to listen to the conversation between Kallie and Aurei. Eavesdropping, however, didn't glean much for him either, as there was nothing much worth noting.

All they had generally talked about involved weapons, mainly centered around the orange-haired girl's chakrams, which had arrived—out of all methods—in the mail. Not only that, but they were also apparently heirlooms, having belonged to their mother. So, they were sisters as well; apparently, there had been some merit to that obscure little scrap of paper after all.

As he continued staring out the window, from across the spacious fields Yazoo caught sight of someone approaching the cottage. The person was still far away, yet he clearly discerned it was a middle-aged man with graying hair; was he the woman's father? At that moment, the creak of the door opening and jangling of her chain-sickle sounded as she finally stepped into the living room; he turned to her somewhat zealously, quickly forgetting the approaching man.

Rather wordlessly herself, all Aurei did was raise her hand, and the green glimmers of Curaga sparkled in the air around Loz and Yazoo. Within a few seconds, the wounds that had agonized them for so long were finally gone.

"There's no need to thank me," Aurei said, as Yazoo pressed a hand to his now healed rib. "I know you weren't thinking of it anyways."

Her words were quite accurate, but he, of course, barely acknowledged it. Neither did Loz, whom was able to rise from the couch without wincing in the slightest, and with something like amazement as well.

"So, hey…" While Loz was testing the extent of his leg's recovery, Kallie had called Aurei's attention once again. "What've we got planned next?"

"Father should be coming home soon." Had she looked out the window, though, she might have seen him drawing near. "Kallie…"

Yet Kallie barely heard her, for it felt as though her mind had gone numb. Maybe she had had several years to brood over the crime her father had committed, but throughout that time, she had also never imagined she would ever meet him—she had never wanted to. What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to say? Her most preferable solution at the moment was to sink straight through the floor.

By the time the knob had turned and the door had unlatched, however, no such thing had occurred.

No sooner had the man stepped across the threshold than he abruptly halted, having straightaway spotted the three new guests. The soft smile he had been wearing when he had entered vanished, replaced with something like dismay as his stare became fixated on Kallie, and Kallie alone. He barely seemed to have noticed the silver-haired brothers at all, or if he had, their presence was nowhere near as significant to him as Kallie's.

"Father…" Aurei finally broke the silence. "This is Kallie, my sister… your daughter…"

Their father still had not spoken, still staring—almost enraptured—at his daughter for the first time in sixteen years. But when Kallie had made eye contact with him, his gaze dropped to the floor, and there was an instantly a change of atmosphere around him. It was apologetic, regretful, and… shamed.

Kallie herself felt as if she had suddenly afflicted with muteness; her mind that had been so numb now began to whirl with conflict and confusion. Somehow, when she would have been literally yelling, chastising him for what he had done, she could not bring herself to do so. He was nothing like she had pictured him after all this time either; instead of some lecherous, drunk croon, he looked like a gentleman, kind, gentle, and… sorry.

"Kallie," said Aurei, acting again as the ice-breaker. "After sixteen years, I know this is hard for you. But for all that time, Father has wanted to see you again."

"I…" Kallie murmured, feeling more awkward than ever. "Hello, Dad…"

At last, her father looked up at her, and the smile returned, as small as it was. "Kalina… Nothing makes me happier… than to finally see you again."

"Not Kalina, please. I go by Kallie." Awkwardly still, Kallie managed a smile of her own, but it was only half-hearted.

"You… were so small when I last saw you. So small." He was studying every detail of his daughter that he had missed during their sixteen years of separation—though he could not meet her eyes, he could not stop staring at the rest of her. "But, now… you look so much… like your mother. Your hazel eyes, your orange hair… You even braid it like she used to. What a change, what a difference… from when I last saw you."

"Yeah, I guess I do resemble Mom a bit…" Kallie answered, somewhat robotically.

That much was true; without needing anyone to tell her, she knew that she resembled her mother. They shared the same orange hair and hazel eyes (though that was a common Bradford trait) and, according to Uncle, their personalities had been similar as well. At last, though, she could finally see some of the features she had inherited from her father.

Perhaps the only reason she had ever wanted to see him was to know what he looked like; quite frankly, he wasn't as bad as she thought he would be. Judging from his lined face and his graying brown hair, he looked to be in his sixties. Behind thin-rimmed glasses, gray eyes much like Aurei's gazed out, although his looked more dim and wearied. It seemed as though those sixteen years had not been easy on him, as the rest of his thin body betrayed.

Still, she felt as if she had seen those eyes before. Those kind, gentle eyes… Maybe she had been able to remember him somewhat after all.

Being still unsure of what to say, she was grateful when Aurei prevented another uncomfortable silence by introducing their father to the silver-haired men. While he tried to make casual talk with them, Kallie had taken the opportunity to slip back into Aurei's room, closing the door behind her.

Listening to her father, how well mannered and polite he seemed, it took her by surprise that such a man could have been so adulterous. Had she met him before knowing his identity, she would have never associated him with her father, let alone believe he was capable of a crime like that.

Brushing a hand through her bangs, sighing, unsure of what to think of anything, her eyes then fell on an object sitting atop the dresser. Her eyes barely leaving it, she crossed the room and picked up what seemed to be a rather old, framed photograph. Being at closer view, she was startled to see it was undeniably a picture of her former family before the separation.

Situated in front of what looked to be this very cottage, there was her mother, younger than she had ever seen her. Due to the bright, cheerful smile on her face, she resembled Kallie even more. Cradled in her arms was what could only be an infant Kallie, seeming barely over a year old. Beside her mother stood Aurei, who actually looked lively at her apparent age of three. And there, behind her, was her father, appearing to be far more spirited than he was now.

_Had he been having that affair when this was taken? _Kallie wondered, examining the youthful visage that had deteriorated since then. Nevertheless, the kindly, polite air she had only seen now still existed in this photograph. But, the weariness, the regret, the sorrow in his eyes that she had seen only now… she knew some change must have taken place. He surely must have felt the consequences of his actions.

Was it enough for her to forgive him?

* * *

At last, May had awakened.

While she had risen to consciousness, though, she still felt quite groggy, as if a cloud of sleepiness drifted inside her head. Her senses were somewhat numb, but she could feel that her head rested against some sort of smooth material, like a leather jacket or something. Likewise, her vision was rather fuzzy as well, though she could discern that the landscape was whizzing by, and she was on the back of a vehicle—she could hear the roar of its engine.

Her mind, however, flashed back to a rusty old truck, driving along some bumpy road to who knew where…

_I'm here… again…?_

Although the cloud still had its hazy hold over her, and she still couldn't think straight, it did not prevent a sense of panic from welling up inside of her. Everything now was flooding back to her—everything that had happened to her when the glass door had shattered behind her. That young man—that same young man—had come back for her! That same smirk had looked upon her as she had backed away, the cup of juice falling from her grip. The last image she recalled was of him raising a hand, a glimmer of light… and all had gone black.

_They still came back…_ The same terror she had felt that night had begun to resurface. _Kallie was wrong… They still came back for me…_

In her panic, she tried to get her body to move, to flee from wherever she was. At first, though, she couldn't move any part of her body, no matter how hard she tried. But gradually, it dawned on her that her arms were actually bound tightly to her sides. As her vision cleared as well, she could perceive that it was rope, and that this rope also tied her to the person seated in front of her; it was also a motorcycle that he was driving.

Lifting her head slightly, all she could see of the kidnapper was his short hair that whipped about in the motorcycle's slipstream. Yet, with her mind still being slightly sluggish, it took her a few moments to register the color of his hair… The young man and his two brothers who had been responsible for kidnapping her… their hair had been silver. She would never forget that abnormal color. This boy's hair was sandy blond.

_It's not the same guy…?_

Rather than that newfound fact reassuring her, though, she simply felt more confused than ever. So if they hadn't come to take her away again… what reason did this boy have? Was he friends with those silver-haired men? Had the other kids been taken again too, or… had it been just her?

Either way… she was getting farther and farther away from home…

At her despairing thoughts, at not being near Kallie or her friends, tears had begun to slip down her cheeks, though she could not wipe them away herself. Fighting the urge to sniffle, to not alert this boy of her terror and despondence, May closed her eyes tightly. While she could not clasp her hands together, she prayed with every fiber of her heart and soul to whatever entity could hear her…

_Somebody… Kallie… Please save me soon…_


	9. Family Ties

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 9**

_Family Ties_

Over half an hour had passed, and still Kallie stayed put in Aurei's bedroom, seated on her sister's bed. The strains of conversation had died down long ago, as it seemed her father's attempts to speak with Loz and Yazoo had inevitably been in vain, and now she had no idea what was occurring outside of the bedroom. If anything, the silver-haired brothers had again retreated someplace where they wouldn't be overheard, and Aurei and her father most likely didn't know what to discuss after this incident. Or, if they did have something to say to each other, they probably didn't want Kallie to be aware of it.

By no means, however, did Kallie abhor her seclusion; as a matter of fact, she savored the chance to be alone in order to fully process everything that had happened today. All her life, she had so strongly believed that the only family she would ever get to know had been Uncle and May, and her mother as well when she had still been around. Quite frankly, she had grown to be happy with that—she hadn't needed a father, or a sister, for that matter.

_What am I gonna do with this new family?_

Nothing—that was her first response. Regardless of whether or not she was able to recover May (as dismal as the thought was), she still intended to go back to her life in Edge. Sure, knowing she had more family after all was nice, but… she didn't think she could ever accept them as her immediate family, much less as replacements for the ones she had lost. After all, they were so vastly different from May and Uncle. May was bouncy and cheery, Aurei was stoical and unsmiling. Uncle had been assertive and jovial, while her father seemed so… hesitant and timid.

That, and she would never be able to tolerate his presence for more than one second—not after what he had done to tear their family apart.

The feelings of injustice and hatred for her father's crimes that had been dormant for so long had arisen in her heart again and, coupled with her unwavering resentment for the silver-haired brothers, Kallie wanted to break something. Those few short minutes of being in his presence once again, during which she had felt such uncertainty, had since been forgotten. For a long time after Uncle had informed her of her father's adultery, she had loathed and despised him; she had been convinced that was the reason why she had grown up with a depressed, paranoid mother. Her mother had never used to be like that, not from what Uncle had told her.

Eventually, though, the fact that she had no clue to her father's whereabouts—if he had been still alive at all—had made it easier to put him at the back of her mind, to let everything else take precedence. While any mention or recollection of him had still made her flinch with rage, Kallie had soon come to the realization that it was best to simply forget him. Someone like him, she had reasoned, didn't deserve a place in her thoughts.

Of course, now that she was actually sitting in his current residence, that resolve was easier said than done.

So when the door to the bedroom opened and Aurei entered, she was all too grateful for a distraction from her turbulent thoughts. That, and for some food as well; Aurei was carrying a platter bearing a sandwich and a glass of water, which made Kallie realize her appetite.

"What's everyone up to?" Kallie asked, as she took the tray Aurei had wordlessly handed her and immediately took a bite from the sandwich.

"Yazoo and Loz went back outside. The latter was starving, so my father fixed him a couple of sandwiches."

At that Kallie nearly choked on the sandwich chunk that she had been currently chewing, and plopped the uneaten portion back on the plate with a slightly disgusted motion. Aurei gave a small sigh, placing a hand on her hip in a reaction so characteristically similar to Kallie's whenever she felt she had been offended.

"Just to let you know, _I_ was the one to fix that."

Instantly abashed, Kallie quickly picked up the sandwich again, resuming her chewing.

"I figured you wouldn't want to eat it otherwise."

"Sorry. It's good," Kallie immediately added after having swallowed, hoping to assuage any offense she might have dealt her sister. It was a sincere compliment, though.

"No offense taken." Her hand had slipped back off her hip to a more relaxed position. "I'm glad to have made something for my sister anyways."

_Then why don't you look it?_ Kallie thought, taking a sip from the water glass as Aurei left the room again. She really did appreciate all that her sister had done for her so far, and she was already proving she would be much more tolerable company than Loz or Yazoo… but her almost emotionless demeanor was way too much like the latter's, and she had voiced her 'gladness' with barely any expression.

A few minutes later, during which Kallie had managed to eat half of the sandwich, Aurei was back with a bundle of blankets and the cot she said she would sleep on. There was little conversation between the two sisters for a short while, as Aurei was setting up the cot and Kallie was finishing the rest of her lunch.

"Thanks, Aurei," said Kallie, after drinking the last of her water so there were only ice cubes left. "I needed that."

"You're welcome," was the passive reply. By this time Aurei had fully assembled the cot, and had laid out the blankets as well. "I'll be heading to Kalm's shops to stock up for our journey. Is there anything you'd like me to get?"

Kallie shrugged. "Nothing, really. I guess I just want… another clue to where May is right now."

"We're doing what we can." Aurei sounded quite earnest as she collected the tray from Kallie.

That just made Kallie feel anxiously dubious again—the only clue she had received had led her not to her cousin, but to a sister she had never known she had, and thus the kidnapper's location was still up in the air. Besides that, Kallie couldn't help but note Aurei's use of the word 'we', and couldn't decide if it was referring to either her father or the silver-haired brothers, nor could she determine which was worse.

"There's one more thing before I go, Kallie," came Aurei's voice, although Kallie didn't quite look at her, already sensing what topic she was about to broach. "For your information, Father wasn't offended by the way you left, and understands that you need some time to yourself."

"I still need it," Kallie abruptly pointed out, hoping to imply that she really didn't want to go anywhere near that man, not if she could help it.

Aurei, however, was still persistent. "But not forever, Kallie. I want you to speak with him sometime before we go, as this may be your only chance to make some kind of resolution—"

"I made that resolution a long time ago!"

"With yourself, perhaps, but not with him." As Kallie huffed indignantly, knowing Aurei had hit the nail on the head, her sister headed for the door. "I'll see you in a few hours. Then, we'll see if we can begin your training."

After Aurei had exited the room, closing the door behind her, Kallie sat there, sulking. Then, with a groan, she flopped down onto the covers, her head just coming short of the pillow.

"Damn it, damn it," Kallie muttered into the blanket. "Damn it all."

* * *

"C'mon, Yazoo, aren't you gonna eat something too?"

"I'm not hungry. I ate last night."

There was little Loz had to do to provoke Yazoo's disapproval or exasperation, and this was no exception; seeing his brother seated on the ground, feeding greedily on the sandwiches the father had brought out, made Yazoo roll his eyes more than once. Loz wasn't exactly the neatest eater, either, as he was getting crumbs everywhere. Of the three, Loz seemed to have inherited the most voracious appetite in order to sustain his bulky physique, and subsequently the least amount of refinement.

Keeping his back to Loz so he wouldn't have to watch him, Yazoo looked out across the grassy plains, although he was paying no attention to the wondrous landscape. Rather, he had begun to think about how their mission had taken a slightly unexpected turn. Now that they were no longer burdened with grievous wounds, he and Loz could easily proceed with the mission on their own, just like before.

If there was anything he looked forward to, it was that they wouldn't have that incompetent girl to slow them down. Perhaps they believed he was 'indebted' to her as much as he believed the contrary—food, shelter, and a shower were barely enough to be a payment of any sort, especially for what she was asking. Not to mention the orange-haired girl couldn't look at him without some sort of scowl or glare, and it was evident she yearned to be rid of his presence as soon as possible. She had her sister now; by logic, there was no reason for them to journey together anymore.

_Why do they still keep us here, then? What pathetic excuse do they have now?_

Hearing the cottage door open and the soft steps of the woman's boots upon the grass, it was almost tempting to put forth that question to her. But Loz had sheepishly confessed that he had tried to interrogate her himself, and Yazoo wanted to smack the stupid lug for that. Thanks to him, Yazoo was going to have to figure out how to glean information from her some other way. For the time being, he ignored her until she spoke to him, irritating his already piqued nerves.

"I'm heading to Kalm to stock up before our journey. Is there anything you two would like me to get?"

Irking him further still, there was actually something he had been in need of for quite some time. "More ammunition for my firearm."

"What kind does it require?"

"Any handgun bullets will do."

"And what about you, Loz?"

Having kept his back to both Aurei and Loz up to this point, he hastened to turn around when she addressed his brother. Thankfully, she was looking towards Loz only, and therefore could not see the threatening stare Yazoo had begun to fixate him with.

"Just…" Yazoo's glare was working, for Loz at once seemed intimidated, and more careful with his words. He already appeared awkward speaking to her, given he had embarrassed himself in front of her before with his botched interrogation. "Just, do y' know if any of the shops have pile bunkers?"

"No, none of them carry such a weapon. If that's your preferred weapon, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until someplace like Junon."

Loz's face fell considerably at that announcement, clearly disappointed that he wouldn't have a replacement for Dual Hound. Even if nothing would ever compare to his once prized possession, there was still that reassurance he wanted in having a weapon of his own, and so he wouldn't have to resort to using his fists all the time. After Aurei had bade an unnecessary farewell and departed at a casual stride towards Kalm, Loz had tossed the plate aside and leaned back against the cottage wall behind him, an arm resting on one knee.

"Do y' think I'll ever get a good replacement for Dual Hound?" he inquired rather mournfully, now that Yazoo's glare had faded.

"Probably not," was Yazoo's cynical reply, and Loz sighed once more as Yazoo turned his gaze away again, sensing a potential for Loz to start bawling.

* * *

Lying there on Aurei's bed, it had dawned on Kallie just how tired she was, and what little sleep she had gotten the previous night. With nothing better to do for now, it hadn't taken much to persuade her into curling the rest of her body up on top of the covers and situating her head on the pillow. Barely a minute passed before she had fallen asleep, and this time, her rest had been blessedly undisturbed by slashing swords or disorientating white spaces. When she awoke again, however, it took her a few seconds to remember where she was and how she had gotten there.

Feeling refreshed nonetheless, Kallie sat up, stretching and rubbing her eyes. Glancing over at the clock on Aurei's wall, she guessed that her nap had been a couple hours, although she realized with slight dismay that Aurei probably wasn't back yet from her shopping trip. Waiting for Aurei to return would spell absolute boredom for her, as she didn't want to leave the safety of Aurei's room not knowing where their father or the silver-haired men currently were.

_And I don't wanna be sitting around on my ass when I could be doing something for May._ Already, the prospect of having to wait for Aurei was making her fidgety, and she hated the concept of wasting any more precious time.

Keen to be doing at least something, Kallie pulled her bag over towards her with her foot and plopped it next to her on the bed. In her urgency to catch up with Yazoo, she had made record time in packing her bag, cramming in this and that, sometimes with barely a second glance at what it had been.

There was one thing she hadn't hurriedly thrown in, though, and it happened to be none other than Mog, her cousin's beloved stuffed moogle. That had been the only thing she had given any pause for before she had headed out the door, having spotted it sitting upon May's pillow on the upper bunk. It had looked almost… _sad_ that its owner wasn't there to be cuddling it. Kallie recalled actually having taken some things out in order to make room before stuffing Mog in, and she didn't regret it—it felt like it was some part of her cousin that she could carry around.

_She never went anywhere without him,_ reflected Kallie, flicking the red ball suspended above its head. _Especially since she knew that her mom had made it, and it was the only gift she'd ever get from her…_

Although it had been many years ago, Kallie still remembered the time Aunt Simone had been sewing Mog together, not long after she had learned she was pregnant. Needlework, no matter what kind, had always been her aunt's greatest skill; in fact, it had been her who had taught Kallie how to sew. For nearly a month, Aunt Simone had lovingly pieced together the moogle doll, having said she wanted to create her best work of art ever for her child. Perhaps that was an enthusiasm all mothers-to-be shared, but… sometimes, Kallie couldn't help but wonder if she had somehow known she would die in childbirth.

_Nah, there couldn't have been any way. That's just…_

Yet, even though it was in her thoughts alone, Kallie trailed off before she could call it ridiculous, unable to show Simone's memory that kind of disrespect. Therefore, she took to merely cradling Mog in her arms for a while, wishing that it could give her some kind of connection to the kidnapped girl. She wanted to communicate with her somehow, to let May know everything was going to be all right, and she was coming to her rescue. She began to wish Mog _was_ May, so she could hold her and give her that comfort she knew she needed so much right now…

Instead of placating her as holding a stuffed animal should have, though, the longer Kallie held Mog, the more agitated she began to feel again. In all his innocence, Mog was now becoming a reminder that she and May were far, far apart, the distance between them perhaps lengthening at this very moment. Restlessness at not doing anything was returning, escalating to the point where she could no longer keep sitting idle on this bed.

Placing aside Mog with as much composure as she could muster, Kallie abruptly stood up and marched over to where her boots and chakrams were situated near the door. Maybe Aurei wasn't back yet, but she simply couldn't wait for her any longer. She could start learning to use her new weapons on her own, and Kallie wasn't even concerned about her incompetence, for she had already proven she could take out monsters by herself.

After donning the boots and attaching the chakrams to her belt, Kallie at last emerged from the solitude of Aurei's bedroom. Grateful to find that the cottage seemed to be clear of both silver-haired men and her father, she eagerly headed for the front door, craving the fresh air.

"Kallie?"

Her fingers had just barely touched the door handle when that voice had sounded from behind her, and Kallie halted, having instantly recognized whom it belonged to. Fighting to keep her expression neutral, she turned to see her father standing in front of a bookshelf on the opposite side of the living room, somehow having missed him in her urgency to leave. A folder of notes was clutched in his hand, but he appeared to have forgotten it was there, as his gaze was intently upon her—he still couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes, though.

"…What do you want?"

She had meant to make the inquiry gruff and irritated, but was surprised at how soft she had intoned it. While the thought of being in his presence again had made her long-subdued grudge swell up back inside her, now it was once more overshadowed by her pity.

"I just want to…" He cleared his throat, letting the folder exchange hands. "I just want to let you know… Aurei told me about your cousin's plight, and that you are in pursuit of the kidnapper. You are an incredibly brave soul, Kallie, and I hope that you can successfully rescue May."

"Thanks, I hope so too," said Kallie, with a hint of despondency. She didn't want any more well wishes or condolences, no matter where it came from; all she wanted was a hint or a clue. Hoping that was all her father really had to say, she had placed her hand on the door handle when he had called for her attention again.

"Kallie, please wait."

Once again, she paused to hear him out, not sure why she simply didn't just walk out this time to avoid it altogether. Yet, as she turned partway round to him… she found that his gaze was actually meeting with hers, and it was barely wavering either. In such direct eye contact, the regret and the torment she had noted before in those gray depths was more evident than ever, and Kallie could only wonder if what he had to say was genuine…

"Kallie…" With all the times that he was saying her name, it almost seemed as though he was savoring every chance to utter it in front of her. "Kallie, please… please hear me out. I have been waiting… sixteen long years for this chance."

At such a desperate, heartfelt plea, Kallie did decide to hear him out. Always, it had proven difficult for her to simply ignore anyone when they seemed to be in such desperation, and that was definitely what she was sensing from her father right now. It didn't even try Kallie's patience as her hand left the door handle once more, and she fully turned herself to face him. Evidently, that sort of reaction was something her father had been hoping and praying for, as he seemed to relax considerably, and he actually looked… glad.

"Kallie, I have been wanting to tell you this for sixteen years," he reiterated earnestly. "I am… sorry, so sorry… for what I did to your mother… to you… that tore this family apart… I have regretted my actions ever since, and we have been apart for so long that I believed I would never have this chance to apologize. I won't ask for you to forgive me, but… I just ask for you to… accept my apology."

"I…" This time, it was her gaze that was turned down towards the floor as she thought over that request, shifting her feet tentatively. "I… will, Dad." That word still felt so alien as it left her tongue. "I didn't think I would ever see you again, and now that I'm here, I still don't know if I could forgive you… But for now, I'll accept your apology."

Never had she seen such gratitude in a man's smile. "Thank you, Kallie."

"But… why did you have to do it?"

The smile instantly vanished from her father's face at seeing that Kallie's disposition had now suddenly changed, her expression on the edge of a scowl. She could accept the apology he offered, but… the idea of forgiveness was absolutely ludicrous. For all the hate that had simmered in her heart for all these long years, living with the knowledge of what her father had done, was something she had long ago decided she could never ever forgive him for. Her anger and indignation at the very thought had begun to claw past the pity that she had allowed herself to feel; as if it had a mind of its own, her sense of injustice had decided that it had been suppressed for far too long.

Before she knew it, the tirade she had kept locked up inside her all these years had been let loose from its cage.

"Why did you have to do it?" she said again, knowing that she was glaring by now. "Didn't you care about me or Mom, or Aurei? Didn't you _ever_ think about how it would tear us apart?"

Her father was saying nothing now, seemingly forcing himself to maintain his gaze on her, silently stationary as he took the brunt of his long lost daughter's scorn.

"Your crime tore Mom apart! I never grew up with a mother—I grew up with the most paranoid woman ever because of you!" Her hands had balled up into trembling fists. "It's because of you that I grew up never knowing my father or my sister!" Positively seething with rage now, she had grabbed the door handle, prepared to finally leave the cottage as she had originally intended. "Just to let you know, I'm fine without you in my life, and the only reason I'm here is because of May!"

* * *

Neither Loz nor Yazoo had barely moved spots since Aurei had left for Kalm, and with virtually nothing to do on their part, both were faced with the impending prospect of boredom, probably worse off than Kallie's had been. But, while Yazoo diligently stayed alert, Loz felt quite tempted to take another nap. As welcome as the idea was, though, that was when he heard the orange-haired girl begin to shout from inside the cottage.

_What's she hollerin' about now?_ wondered Loz, though wasn't as annoyed by it as Yazoo would have been. Rather, he had to admit that the girl piqued his interest, particularly regarding how she had ended up with them in the first place.

Typically, Yazoo had been quite vague about it, and Loz was sure there was much more to the story—she must have done _something_ to aggravate his brother so thoroughly. That didn't seem to be a hard feat, as it took little to get on Yazoo's nerves even though he barely showed it, but the only people who had appeared to vex him to such an extent had been Brother, the President, and their subordinates.

Continuing to listen in on the girl's tirade, she hadn't been shouting for long before the door suddenly swung open and she came storming out, looking positively livid. Slamming the door behind her for the grand finale, the orange-haired girl shot a scowl in his direction when she saw him looking her way, and then proceeded to storm down the slope towards the open fields stretching out in front of them, Yazoo watching her go with disinterest.

"What was goin' on in there?" he queried aloud once she had gone out of earshot, though knew better than to have asked since Yazoo had predictably ignored him, obviously apathetic about the fit she had given.

Naturally, Yazoo wouldn't have ever been curious about it, but as the girl had already intrigued Loz, he wanted to know what was going on between her and the man that was apparently her father. From the tense, uncomfortable dialogue they had exchanged earlier, and the way she had shouted at him just now before marching out of the cottage, something bad must have happened between them to upset her like that.

It wasn't like Loz cared, of course, about any hurt feelings between them. To see such animosity between a child and parent, in fact, made him all the more proud of just how much he adored Mother and longed to be with her.

Having been so possessed before with the longing to reunite with Yazoo, it had almost completely distracted him from their mission, especially since he had believed he'd never be able to continue it on his own anyways. But, now that Yazoo was back with him, his wounds were healed, and his hunger satisfied, his zeal about the mission had been significantly reignited—Loz didn't know what was holding him back from just hopping into the truck and getting back on the road right now!

As he was debating about whether or not to ask Yazoo if they could be on their way, it was only ten minutes after Kallie had stalked out of sight across the plains when Aurei finally returned, a number of parcels in her arms. Most likely unaware that her sister had gone, she didn't say a word to them as she entered into the cottage, Loz careful to avoid glancing her way. A minute later, though, she had clearly received the news, for she hastily reemerged with a furious expression and promptly addressed both of them:

"You two, where did Kallie go?"

Neither answered her at first, of course, and Yazoo especially didn't turn around to acknowledge that he had heard her. Yet, frustrated by their seemingly indifferent reactions, Aurei was unrelenting, and chose to direct her inquiry towards Loz, something he wasn't quite thrilled about.

"What direction did Kallie head off in?" she asked him, and Loz was doing his best to dodge direct eye contact with her. "For having healed you two and given you both shelter, I think the least you can do is tell me where my sister went."

Loz wasn't sure what had persuaded him to tell Aurei, whether it had been her forceful gaze that had coerced him, or even a shred of obliged consideration, but he pointed out across the field before them.

"She went that way."

Aurei hissed, and, considering her usually reserved state, her outburst of worried anger surprised him. "What does she think she's doing, going off by herself? That idiot!"

"You've only just discovered that for yourself?" commented Yazoo aloud, and to hear him speak after he had been silent for so long was another surprise to Loz.

Clearly, Aurei must have heard him, but did not put aside time to acknowledge it, for she had dashed off without delay in the direction that Loz had indicated. Both brothers watched her go until she had nearly gone from sight, and then Yazoo turned to Loz. The latter was doing his best to look unfazed, but he really could not help but cringe from the icy, scornful glare his brother was giving him.

"Will you ever learn to keep your mouth shut?" he rebuked. "You look weak when you give into her demands like that."

The scolding was no help for how abashed Loz already felt about the situation, and he greatly wanted to make some kind of rebuttal, to have a plausible reason for informing Aurei of where her sister had gone—though he just couldn't think of one. Meanwhile, Yazoo had started walking towards the cottage door, presumably to see if Aurei had indeed bought the ammunition he had requested. Before he would enter, however, at seeing Loz rubbing the bridge of his nose, he had one last reprimand:

"And don't cry over it either. It makes you appear even more ridiculous."

When he had disappeared inside, Loz put his head back against the wall with a sigh, only feeling a few tears initiated from Yazoo's scorn. After wiping them away on the back of his glove, he looked up towards the afternoon sky that had decided to start clouding over, and which was appropriately matching his mood.

_Why __**do**__ they have to join us at all?_ Even he didn't feel there was a necessity to have the sisters tag along; even if it was just the two brothers, he wanted it to be them and only them to find Mother, not a couple of complete strangers that he barely trusted. Mother would want it that way too, wouldn't she? Still… what _did_ she want them to do now anyways?

_Mother… why's it so hard just to be with you?_ It didn't make sense to him how such a simple desire could be so difficult to fulfill.

* * *

Being as livid as she was when she had stormed out of the cottage, it was conceivably a good idea that Kallie had decided to bring her chakrams along to get some practice in with them. So much had happened today to thoroughly piss her off (and she wondered if this all had really happened in one day), it felt quite necessary to vent the boiling energy she had been accumulating. She could venture a guess that Aurei would probably be quite pissed that she had gone out unaccompanied, but Kallie wasn't worried about the monsters out here at all—she could very well take care of them herself.

Not until the cottage had gone from her sight did Kallie stop; that was, of course, quite a distance, one she didn't bother to calculate. All that she cared about was that she was as far away from that cottage as possible, and nowhere near the people who were the source of her ire. By the time she had reached this area, though, she was disappointed that the sky had clouded over partially, and she could no longer feel the warmth of sunshine that she loved so much.

Her head turned upwards towards the sky, she momentarily closed her eyes as she deeply breathed in the wondrous fresh air, and then detached the chakrams she determinedly intended to familiarize herself with. Although she had already carried them around quite a bit at this point, Kallie still had yet to actually utilize them in any way, shape, or form.

Somehow, though, as she held them in her hands now, weighing them and lightly brandishing one through the air, there was something… recognizable about them. Like she _had_ used them once before, and it was as if she was brushing them free of dust after many long years of disuse… Certain that she was trying to delude herself, however, she disregarded the odd feeling as she readied her grip on them. Then, whirling about, Kallie tossed one at a lone tree, the first object she had laid eyes on.

The instant she had done so, Kallie admitted grudgingly to herself that it probably hadn't been the proper technique. At first it had been satisfying to watch the chakram whiz toward the target, trimming the tops of the taller grasses as it went, only to have it hit the tree and sharply ricochet off. Cringing, fearing that she might have damaged the weapon, Kallie hurried over to where it had fallen. To her relief, after she had gingerly picked up the chakram and made a quick inspection, she couldn't even find a new scratch among the many that had apparently been there for a very long time.

_And yet, Mom supposedly never used these…_

It made Kallie burn with so many questions that she wondered if even Aurei knew all of the answers. Would she even know _why_ their mother had owned them in the first place, if not to fight with them? If her mother hadn't been the one to use them before, who had then been their original owner?

This was all just another mystery for her to solve, and since she was already lacking clues for her most prevalent issue, Kallie decided not to think about the chakrams' origins for now. With no damage on the chakram to be seen, she next examined the tree, and to her satisfaction found a nice gash where it had struck the bark. Despite the chakram's apparent age, that certainly didn't mean it couldn't do any harm.

_From the little I've heard about chakrams, though, I thought they could boomerang back or something…_ She had probably thrown it incorrectly, although she couldn't think of any other way to have thrown it… Maybe it depended on a particular flick of the wrist, or a certain angle at which to hold her arm? The thought came that perhaps she really should have waited for Aurei to return, although it was only fleeting—she wanted to prove she was competent enough without any help!

With that resolve in mind, Kallie decided to give it another go, and chose to throw the other chakram instead. This time, she took care with exactly how she held it, pondering briefly if her stance was any different from before, and then again tossed it, though without an intended target. However, there was a hapless victim nonetheless: an ostrich-like Levrikon that Kallie had spotted only moments after the chakram had left her hand.

It had been seemingly happily pecking for worms in the ground, oblivious to Kallie's presence until her chakram landed home in its side, and it unleashed an anguished wail. Perhaps it was satisfying that she had struck a monster with a chakram for the first time, and she might have leapt in jubilation as it fell to the ground, wounded. Yet, there happened to be another Levrikon, just a mere yard away, that apparently would not tolerate its buddy having been gravely injured. As if angered or aggrieved, it gave a shriek and charged at Kallie.

_Oh, crap…_

Maybe this wasn't the first monster she had faced off against, and it probably wasn't as powerful as the silver-haired brothers' creatures, but a Levrikon was certainly a few levels up from a Whole Eater. Those long legs made it quite a bit faster, for one thing, and Kallie knew she had only a few seconds to strategize before it would reach her. Somehow, she had to get back her other chakram from the wounded Levrikon, but it still wasn't fully dead yet and could probably manage a counterattack…

That was as far as her planning got, however, before the second Levrikon kicked out at her with its talons, and Kallie had to dive out of the way. Fortunately, when she hit the ground she managed to roll to her feet, although this time she found herself dodging the creature's beak as it pecked at her, narrowly missing her arm. Being in such close proximity to the Levrikon, and spotting an opening for herself, Kallie did not hesitate in lashing out with her chakram.

There were notable differences between a chakram and a pipe, of course, namely their range, and Kallie nearly flinched at how _close_ she had to come to the Levrikon, although she determinedly held her ground nonetheless. Her chakram cut across its paw-like appendage, and the Levrikon shrieked. Swaggering confidence suddenly welling up inside of her, she chanced to throw the chakram, full to the brim with assurance that she could land a fatal blow.

But her move turned out to be reckless—the chakram merely grazed the Levrikon's shoulder, and Kallie watched with dismay as it whizzed away. There was a fleeting hope that it would return to her when it had arced in her direction, although that was dashed as the chakram hit the ground, rolled along for several feet, and then clattered to a stop yards away from her.

_If there were a time to scream 'shit', it would be now._

In light of this new predicament, now unarmed and with a creature staring daggers in her direction, Kallie knew she was probably screwed. The nearest weapon to her was the chakram that was still embedded in the first Levrikon, now attempting to rise to its feet while bleeding profusely from its side.

Desperate, acting on impulse alone, she sprinted towards it, thinking she could try to beat it into submission and wrestle her chakram free. The second Levrikon rushed at her, unwilling to let her go so easily, and Kallie cursed, knowing she wouldn't reach the weapon in time. She grabbed a rock she had spotted on the ground, preparing to chuck it in order to stop the Levrikon in its tracks…

Yet, that was before something swept by her, something moving so swiftly it was merely a blue blur. The next thing Kallie knew, the Levrikon had let out a wounded shriek as Aurei kicked it, sending it somewhere out of sight in the tall grass. After Aurei had momentarily kept an eye on the spot where the Levrikon supposedly lay, Kallie wasn't sure if she should be thankful, pissed, or abashed when Aurei turned towards her, bearing quite a displeased expression.

"You are a fool, Kallie," she stated. "An overconfident _fool._ Whatever made you even _think_ you could defend yourself alone out here?"

Given Aurei's fury, Kallie decided it was appropriate to be irate in return. "_'Overconfident'?_ This isn't the first time I've taken on monsters before! I could've handled them on my own!"

"Idiot," Aurei breathed, and Kallie fumed again. "If you weren't being too thick to realize, you stupidly lost both of your chakrams, and if I hadn't interfered, that Levrikon would have done serious injury."

"No, it wouldn't have…!" Already, though, Kallie's obstinate defense had begun to dwindle, as she couldn't deny that obvious fact, and her sister sighed in exasperation.

"If you continue to refuse to recognize what's good for you, then your rash nature will someday be the death of you." Kallie was the one to sigh loudly this time, folding her arms in frustration. "If you don't realize your limits, then you won't last long on this journey."

"Okay, I get it!" Kallie exclaimed, throwing up her hands to cease Aurei's belittling. Here she had barely known her sister for half a day, and already they were engaging in an argument—some family reunion this was. Speaking of which, she had a feeling that was to be the next issue Aurei would address, and her prediction was correct.

"Don't believe for one second I'll let you off so easily. I'm already disappointed in how you handled the situation with Father. I asked you to talk things over, not—"

"We _did_ talk things over." At this point, Kallie was fighting to keep her temper in check, especially on such a sensitive matter that undoubtedly had more importance for Aurei. "He apologized for what he did, and I accepted it."

"But I doubt your temper tantrum made matters any better."

"'_Temper tantrum'?"_ Now _that_ was a ridiculous way to put it. "I dunno about you, but _I_ saw what he did to Mom, and after sixteen years, _I'm _not gonna let that go! If anything, I was giving him what he deserved!"

As soon as those words left her mouth, however, there was a definite change in Aurei's attitude, and it was one that made Kallie's stomach clench—there was no denying the twinge of fear that had been struck into her at seeing Aurei's frigid glare. So much anger and indignation was being suppressed in her eyes, and though Kallie wasn't one to exaggerate, she thought she could see that same icy glow, penetrating into her being…

"Don't you _dare_ speak of Father like that!" Aurei hissed, and there was suddenly a fleeting impression she might have hit Kallie. In fact, for a second, Kallie could have sworn her body had been frozen in place, and a light, chilly breeze had swept around them.

Yet, that moment had gone as quickly as it had seemed to come, and so had Aurei's glare. Her expression softened, and she lowered her gaze, quietly sighing. Watching her warily, it seemed to Kallie as though she wanted to say something, but decided against it eventually.

"Get your chakrams, Kallie," Aurei said, looking away in the direction of the cottage. "We're going back home."

_You are, anyway… _"What? We're not gonna start train—?"

"I said we're going back," she reiterated, a little more harshly. "I'm not expecting you to apologize, but I am _not_ going to leave my father alone with those two men."

"Then _why_'d you bring them here in the first place?" Kallie asked exasperatedly, and she knew that was a legit question. "I never wanted them around to begin with!"

"They're more important than you realize," was the vague answer, and as Kallie sighed in frustration, Aurei seemed to sense another rebuttal was about to surface. "Get your weapons so we can leave."

"Fine, fine," Kallie muttered, walking towards the second chakram that she had lost. _More important than I realize, huh? _Did Aurei really think she could handle them just because she had proven victorious over them _once_? Hadn't it occurred to her that having healed them, they could probably defeat her now if they wanted to—kill her even? Heck, hadn't she even thought of the danger they could present to her father if they were left alone? Not that Kallie really cared about _that_, anyways…

Picking up the chakram that had struck the second Levrikon, she proceeded to the Levrikon that her first chakram had now supposedly killed. All of its efforts to stand again had ceased, and it merely lay there, immobile as death. Double checking to make sure it wasn't breathing, Kallie—with a slight grimace—yanked her chakram free of its corpse and, attaching both of her weapons to her belt, walked back to where Aurei was waiting. However, she seemed to be a little more anxious than usual, and had set off once Kallie had come close enough.

"When _will_ you teach me how to use the chakrams?"

"Once we're on our journey, I will."

That was almost too long of a wait for Kallie, especially since she was still full of adrenaline right now. "You said we could start today, though."

"Other matters have precedence now. "

"But, shouldn't I get started as soon as possible? I mean, who knows how long—?"

"_Get down!_"

And the next thing Kallie knew, Aurei had shoved her out of harm's way when what seemed like an enormous, blue-white column of light burst forth from the earth. Both sisters had hit the ground, and Kallie's eyes had shut tight, almost blinded by whatever giant, bright anomaly had decided to abruptly make its presence known. Gingerly blinking, she held a hand in front of her face, shielding her eyes as she looked up, and stared in absolute incredulity.

Even though the bright aura of light surrounding it made it difficult to properly discern, there was no mistaking that it was a giant, serpentine creature. While half of its body remained concealed in the ground, it still rose nearly fifteen feet into the air above them, like some sort of terribly overgrown vine. Its head was slender and pointed with a frill of fins, and similar ribbon-like fins sprouted along the length of its body. The only creature Kallie could think of that looked even remotely similar was the summon Leviathan, and even then she knew it couldn't be that…

"What the hell… _is_ that thing?" Kallie asked in alarm, she and Aurei getting to their feet as the creature hovered threateningly above them. It seemed poised, ready to strike…

"Whatever it is isn't our top priority right now." While also evidently perplexed by this unfamiliar, alien sight, even then Aurei assessed the situation with aplomb. "Get out of here, Kallie. I can handle this alone."

But, even in such a dire, serious moment, Kallie wasn't content to be the one running away. "No, I can—!"

"Kallie, stop being such an insolent brat and—"

It was suddenly then, however, that Aurei just barely cast a Shield spell in time before large, thick ribbons of azure light were blasted from the serpent's maw, striking the protective bubble that had formed around them. The monster gave a noise similar to a hiss, and then lunged for the two sisters, who dodged in opposite directions out of the way.

Aurei had been much more elegant about it, though, back-flipping to safer ground while Kallie had merely dived, her back hitting the earth again as she rolled onto her knees. Having landed on her shoulder particularly hard, she clutched the injury, groaning, feeling the creature's bright azure eyes upon her. Sensing it had chosen her as its target, she reached for her chakrams even if she still couldn't use them properly…

Yet she was spared the trouble, for Aurei had come tearing through the creature with the scythe on her chain, combined with a Blizzard spell, and it dissipated with a pained roar that echoed in the air even after it had gone. After she had nimbly landed, looking back at where the creature had been, Kallie walked over to her, intending to discuss what that creature had possibly been. However, she hadn't taken two steps before there wasn't one, but three explosions of light around them, and Kallie braced herself, cursing, as they took the form of three more malevolent serpents.

"Are these things never gonna give up?" she growled, taking a ready stance next to Aurei, who looked just as nettled as she was. "Maybe it'll be a good thing to find out what the hell they are!"

"Perhaps if they stick around long enough, Father can find out for us."

Oh, that was _so_ humorous. "Then he'll never find out, 'cause I'm taking them down now!"

"Kallie, no!"

Yet in a flash, Kallie had drawn her chakrams, and raced for the creature directly in front of her. As if in agreement to her challenge, the thing gave a hazy screech and slithered toward her—Kallie couldn't help but note its unique way of moving, gliding fluidly along the ground as if it was the surface of a lake rather than the earth. Aurei had tried to rush to her aid, only to be held up by the other two monsters.

Unmindful of what was occurring behind her, Kallie's attention being focused solely on the serpent in front of her, she gripped both of her chakrams tightly as the creature bore down upon her. When it thrust its jaws towards her, Kallie gave a cry and slashed out with both of her weapons—to her utmost satisfaction, the creature shrieked before disappearing into mist. Punching the air, ecstatic, she turned around to check if Aurei had seen her achievement at all, even though she was still probably in the midst of a battle.

That was when she became abruptly aware another creature was about to attack her, because it happened to materialize right beneath her.

There had not even been a second's notice—before she had time to jump out of the way, that brilliant light had formed underneath her feet. Before she knew it, she felt an immense burning, freezing pain clamp around her leg, and as it rose rapidly into the air, the new foe vigorously tossed her upwards with its jaws.

For the first few moments, she had been almost too stunned to realize she was airborne, and then, in the next split second, she saw how high above the ground she was. She couldn't tell how far up she had gone, only that she was falling down, falling fast. She closed her eyes, still too shocked to even scream, unsure if Aurei would come to her rescue, waiting for her bones to break when they would hit the ground…

And then, she was overtaken by the strangest feeling… as if, she was somehow suspended in that moment, a moment that seemed to have paused just for her. Even her body seemed to have been frozen in place, midair, as if in order to allow her to completely and utterly experience this novel feeling. Novel, and yet, so utterly familiar. Nostalgic. It felt so wonderful, like saying hello to an old friend she hadn't seen in years…

What was Kallie doing, panicking like this? She could get out of this, there was no need to break a sweat over it!

At that reassuring resolve, reality and real time had come flooding back around her, and once more Kallie was falling through the air. But, that sense of familiarity still remained with her, and without any bewilderment, any qualms at all, she had flipped backwards and landed squarely on her feet, her knees only bending slightly from the impact. Even after such an extraordinary feat on her part, Kallie didn't feel amazed or bewildered or proud at all… Instead, the feeling in its place was that of confidence—confidence in her skills, her powers, her weapons. Especially her weapons, still clutched in her hands where they belonged.

_It really has been a while…_

The creature that had so joyously tossed her into the air was still there, waiting, and she didn't even question why Aurei hadn't slain it yet—Kallie was just glad that it was still around for her to tackle herself. Drawing herself into a battle stance, she could feel the adrenaline building within her, as if someone were blowing on the embers of a dwindling fire, rekindling it and flaring it back to life.

The azure glow of the creature's attack began to radiate from deep within its throat, and Kallie couldn't help but smirk. This thing just didn't know what it was up against. With a readier grip than ever on her chakram, she chucked it at the creature, just as it released its blast of fiery azure ribbons. Moments after the chakram had left her hand, whizzing through the air, it suddenly burst into flame. Transformed into a pinwheel of fire, the chakram sliced through the serpent with ease, and its dissipation into mist was an indication of its defeat.

However, the blue energy blast that it had unleashed had not died away with its originator, and Kallie, so suddenly thrust back into her real self, didn't give herself enough time to dodge out of the way. The energy hit her square in the chest, hurling her off her feet and smack onto her back, the wind forced out of her either by the attack or the impact. Her torso felt numb and paralyzed, a slightly blue haze lingering behind. As she heard the footfalls of boots, all Kallie could turn was her head to see a concerned Aurei hastening towards her, the monsters she had been fighting no longer in sight.

"Are you all right?" she asked, kneeling beside her at once.

"…T-take… a guess." It was somewhat of a miracle that Kallie was able to inflect a touch of sarcasm. "I… I can't move…"

"It should be only temporary, but I'll use Esuna nonetheless once we get back." Retrieving Kallie's chakrams, Aurei attached them to her sister's belt before placing Kallie's arm around her shoulders and hoisting her onto her feet with relative ease. "I'll help you walk."

"Please do," Kallie muttered, as much as she wanted to insist on being on her own feet. Although she could at least mobilize her legs, it was a relief to be supported by her sister and only have to put a little effort into walking, particularly because she was still recuperating from more than just the serpent's attack.

_What the hell… __**happened**__ to me?_

Above the numbness and rigidity she felt, there was nothing to top just how damn confused she was right now. Where anyone would have taken immense pride in themselves for having done their first back-flip and survived a fall of that distance, much less having slain a monster with a flaming chakram… she didn't even think it had been _cool_. Maybe it would have been, if it weren't for the fact that, above all else, it hadn't even felt like she had been the one doing it!

Sure, there was no denying she had been the one to throw the chakram, but those thoughts and feelings that she had had couldn't have been hers to begin with; whatever feelings of nostalgia she had experienced had since vanished. What the hell had she meant by '_it really has been a while'? _Today had been the first time she had _ever_ tried to use those chakrams, after all.

What especially nagged on her mind, though, was how her chakram had caught aflame, and once again, she didn't have a single materia equipped. That incident in Midgar, when the Whole Eater had seemingly self-combusted, had been one thing… but now, she was starting to reconsider that other incident that had occurred in Edge's center, over a week ago. That heat that had flared between her hands and the shadow monster had been ever so fleeting, but Kallie could still remember it clearly.

There was a trend so evident now, and she couldn't even think of disregarding it. In three nearly life-or-death situations, when it seemed she had been done for, that mysterious fire somehow would find a way to save the day, and each time it had happened, no one had been using a materia. Yazoo had had one equipped—and a Fire one at that—but he certainly wouldn't have wasted magic on her. While Aurei also had materia in her possession, Kallie strongly suspected she hadn't been the caster.

As much as Kallie loathed the idea of yet another complication… this was too significant to ignore. Slowly, it was dawning on her that this adventure was going to involve more than just a simple kidnapping.

"Aurei… what the _hell_ did I do back there?"

If this happened to be her day to find answers, she'd better take advantage of it, especially since the seemingly secretive Aurei was going to cooperate.

"I guess I have more explaining to do than I thought I would today."


	10. Disclosures

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 10**

_Disclosures_

_How could we have let this happen? How did we miss that they're still alive?_

Had Tifa voiced her worries aloud, there would have been someone to remind her that she wasn't at fault for this situation, and there was nothing she would have been able to do about it in the first place. Nonetheless, Tifa couldn't help but wish that she had heeded Cloud's concern, instead of trying to reassure him otherwise that Sephiroth was dead for good. That had all been because of a selfish desire to lead a normal life, to see Cloud, Denzel, and Marlene happy and secure at last. She had ignored her worry, putting it at the back of her mind, convincing herself that Sephiroth could only be gone.

After receiving that call from Cloud, however, Tifa could only reproach herself for having been so naïve.

Half an hour had passed since then, and since she had, at Cloud's request, informed Denzel and Marlene that the ordeal had yet to be resolved. To her relief, they had taken the news much better than she had expected, although Tifa knew she shouldn't have been surprised. While they had been speechless at first, they were soon avidly certain that Cloud would take care of them, and there was no need to be scared. Not wanting to sway their trust by admitting the remnants had defeated Cloud, Tifa merely said that they had gotten away before Cloud could do anything about it.

"But, Cloud can beat them again!" Marlene had declared, unwilling to let that news dampen her faith. "They don't stand a chance!"

"No, they don't." Perhaps it was simply Marlene's innocent, pure enthusiasm that was so infectious, yet Tifa couldn't help but smile assuredly. _He beat them once… He can do it again._

And so, even though those worries still nagged at the back of her mind, Tifa couldn't help but feel confident that Cloud would emerge victorious once more. Not to mention that, after telling Denzel and Marlene about the situation, she had followed up on her second favor for him and began contacting AVALANCHE. The first member she had been able to reach was Cid: naturally, after hearing that two of the remnants were still around, he had responded with his usual stream of expletives. However, Tifa hadn't even had to ask him to bring the _Shera_ before he stated he would come straightaway.

"Those damn remnants ain't gonna be alive for much longer, not on my watch! I'm flying my baby right over to Edge's outskirts, so you and Cloud better be waitin' when I get there, all right?"

"You got it, Cid!"

Not long after she had hung up, Tifa had just been about to try and call Barret next when she heard Marlene's excited shouts, and then her hurried stomps down the stairs, soon to be joined by Denzel.

"Tifa, Cloud's here! Cloud's back!"

Placing the phone back down, Tifa felt hasty herself as she strode out of her office and down the stairs, reaching the bar just as Cloud had opened the door. At seeing him, her steps quickened, drawing stares from customers whose interests had already been piqued by the children's outcries. However, the first to reach Cloud was Marlene, who had thrown her arms around his legs with additional cries of joy.

"Hey, Marlene," he said above her ecstatic cries, evidently taken aback by her zealous greeting, yet appreciated it nonetheless.

Chuckling a little, he managed to pry her tight grip off of him as he next turned to Denzel, who had been standing by his side; while the boy wasn't gushing over Cloud as much as Marlene was, he was nonetheless just as happy to see him back.

"Hey, Denzel. I'm glad to see you too."

"And me too, right?"

Glancing up when she had spoken, he smiled at seeing her walking towards him, and nodded. "Of course, Tifa." After the short exchange of greetings, though, it was right back to business, and his expression soon grew solemn. "Have you reached anyone from AVALANCHE?"

"I just finished speaking with Cid. He said he'll bring the _Shera_ over right away, though it'll probably take him a few hours to get here." As Cloud nodded, she added in a softer intonation, "Cloud, can you tell me more about what happened?"

He nodded again. "Upstairs."

Just as Cloud began to follow Tifa back up towards the office, though, Marlene had grabbed a hold of his pant leg again, abruptly stopping him in his tracks.

"Cloud!" Marlene clearly knew she was going to have to be excluded. "Don't leave me and Denzel out!"

"Please, can't we come along too?" pleaded Denzel, sharing Marlene's sentiment, and Cloud looked back at Tifa, at a loss of what to say to them.

"Listen," she said gently. "It's extremely important that Cloud and I discuss this, and we don't have a lot of time now. Why don't you two watch the bar for us, and we can tell you about it later?"

When it seemed Marlene was about to protest, it was Denzel who quieted her. "Come on, Marlene, let's do as Tifa says."

After Tifa thanked the kids for their cooperation, and they scurried off to take stools at the bar, Cloud and Tifa proceeded up the stairs. But, even though they hadn't reached the office yet, Tifa was anxious to question Cloud as soon as they were out of earshot.

"The first of them I saw was the one named Loz," Cloud had answered, after Tifa had pressed for more details about the encounter with the remnants. "The one that you fought in Aerith's church. He was limping and he looked pretty beat up, so I don't think he escaped from that explosion unharmed."

"There was the other one too, right?"

"Yeah, Yazoo, I think his name is. He came along about five minutes after I started fighting Loz. It's just my guess, but… I think they must've been separated up until then… Loz seemed relieved to see Yazoo."

By this time they had walked into the office and, after making sure the kids weren't sneaking after them to eavesdrop, Tifa had closed the door so it was slightly ajar.

"I still can't see how they're still alive," Tifa murmured, still unable to shake this disturbing fact. The explosion had seemingly managed to kill Cloud, before Aerith had brought him back to life… so how come the remnants hadn't shared the same fate? Had Sephiroth managed to still save them somehow, thus fulfilling his resolution to 'never be a memory'?

"I don't know…" He still hadn't thought of an explanation himself—except for one, far-fetched possibility. "But… maybe that girl I saw is part of the reason."

"Girl?" Thinking she hadn't heard Cloud right, she turned to him, puzzled. What did any girl have to do with all this? "What's this about a girl?"

"This girl… hit me in the back with a stone when the remnants seemed to be losing. I think… she was helping them out."

And Tifa stared in incredulity.

"She… _what?_" Now Tifa really thought that she was mishearing things.

Cloud only shook his head, clearly unable to believe it anymore than she could. "I didn't have time to find out how she could've been involved with them, because that was when Yazoo shot me in the arm, and Loz punched me in the jaw. That was… the last thing I remember."

This revelation had just made everything so much more complicated; here, all Tifa thought they had to do was just hunt down those remnants, and everything would be said and done. All of a sudden, though, now this… _girl_ had come into the mix.

"Did you see… what she looked like?"

Leaning against the wall next to the window, Cloud pensively rested his chin on a fist as he tried to recall the girl. "She was wearing ordinary clothes and had orange-colored hair, but that's all I was able to see."

Yet, as enigmatic as that girl was, Cloud knew she presently wasn't their top priority. When he saw Tifa put a hand to her forehead, still trying to process these startling details, he said, "Tifa… whoever she is, we can't worry about that now. If she's still with the remnants when we catch up with them, we can find out then. For now, maybe someone else, like W.R.O., can investigate for us."

"You're right, Cloud…" With that suggestion, it was a relief for Tifa to be able to allay her mind of such a troublesome matter, and she smiled again. "Let me get in touch with the rest of AVALANCHE and see who else we can round up."

Cloud nodded. "First, is there someone we can leave the kids with? I want to make sure they're far away from any danger this time."

"There's a woman I know well who doesn't live far from 7th Heaven," Tifa assured him, having already thought the matter over long beforehand. "I'm pretty sure—"

At that moment, a cry of protest was heard outside of the room, and in the next second, the door burst open as Denzel and Marlene came dashing in, clearly in a huff. With Cloud and Tifa having been thoroughly engrossed in their discussion, that had probably been why the kids were able to silently sneak upstairs and avoid detection up until then. Evidently though, from their distraught expressions, they could no longer stand the idea of being shut out—particularly Marlene, who had once again thrown her arms around Cloud's legs.

"Cloud, don't!" she cried, her face buried in the material of Cloud's half-skirt. "Don't leave us behind! I wanna see you beat 'em again!"

"Can't you take us with you?" Denzel was looking beseechingly at Tifa. "I… I wanna get back at those guys for what they did to everybody!"

"Marlene…" Placing a hand on her shoulder, Cloud pulled her away slightly. "Listen, we're not going to put you or Denzel in danger again. I'm not going to risk it."

"It might not take as long as you think," Tifa said reassuringly, smiling wanly as she crouched slightly to be more at Denzel's eye level. "We'll get rid of those guys, and then be back before you know it!"

"That's right." Cloud agreed.

The notion was enough that even Cloud began to smile, watching as Tifa pried Marlene away from him and ushered both children toward their bedroom, urging them to get their things packed. Fierce determination was settling in, much like what he had felt during what should have been his final confrontation with Sephiroth and his remnants. Sephiroth might have refused to be anything less than a memory, but Cloud was hell-bent on making sure he would stay that way. His life had finally been put into perspective, and he wasn't about to let it slip away—not if he could do something about it.

They _would_ be back before they knew it.

* * *

No matter where Yazoo went around here, it seemed that he simply couldn't find a place that appealed to him, particularly some kind of quiet isolation. Outdoors had initially been ideal, but the nuisances that were his brother and the woman had more than ruined it for him, and he had been strongly compelled to return to inside of the cottage. The most persuasive reason to go back inside was the fact that after a full week of having barely survived on a few scant bullets, Yazoo could finally replenish his ammunition.

What Yazoo found rather astounding (not that he was complaining, of course), was that the woman had actually held true to her word: the ammunition he had requested happened to be in not one but two parcels, piled with the rest of her purchases on the kitchen table. It was curious enough that she had healed him, but it was harder to believe that she would continue to go out of her way for him like this—all of these favors made him more and more certain that she _must_ have something else in mind for them.

Now, he just might have discovered a way to worm out the truth.

Upon reentering the cottage, it seemed blessedly vacant, and thus somewhat elating to think that he might have actually found some seclusion. He had just begun to open the wrapping for the ammunition, however, when he heard soft footsteps approaching, and he glanced up to see that the sisters' father was also in the room with him.

"Oh… hello, Yazoo." The man smiled, somehow seeming to be genuine about it, even when he surely must be intimidated by Yazoo's presence. "I thought Aurei might've come back already… Did she go after Kallie?"

Since the man already had a hint regarding Yazoo's personality, however, he would have known better than to expect an answer. The only sort of attention Yazoo had bothered to give him was that glance, and then his gaze lowered back down to the parcels. Pretending the father hadn't revealed his being there at all, he merely continued to unwrap the ammunition, eager to finally have it in his possession.

"I see…"

Evidently not as slow-witted as he had initially appeared to be, the father seemed to remember Yazoo's taciturn tendencies, although he did linger for a few moments as if trying to think of something else he could say. Soon enough, though, he again abandoned any attempts at conversation and disappeared into some room off the living room. Though Yazoo knew that didn't mean he was completely alone, it was nonetheless a relief to have some solitude while he at last reloaded his firearm, and could smile in satisfaction after he had clicked the mechanism shut. Noting that the woman had bought him rather high quality bullets—perhaps the best that could be found in this area—it was tempting to try them out now, only he wasn't quite in the mood for hunting something down to use as target practice.

That, and the father's presence had provided an idea: _he_ would be the one to interrogate in place of the woman. Clearly frail in body, he could only be just as weak in mind, and therefore heavily dependent on his daughter, the only reason why someone of her age would be still living with him. Because of that, he could also be the woman's only confidant. Now that she was gone, he was quite vulnerable, and thus an ideal choice to gather particulars about her from. Not wanting his chance to slip away before the woman returned, Yazoo holstered Velvet Nightmare and strode over to the doorway of what was apparently his bedroom, also doubling as an office space. As the carpet muffled the sound of his boots, it was quite effortless to make a silent approach, and the father, seated at a desk in the corner, remained quite oblivious to his presence. Yazoo smirked, already sensing this was to head in his favor.

"Does your daughter realize what she's getting herself into?"

The father, at hearing Yazoo speak so suddenly, started quite a bit, the pen slipping from his fingers as he turned about in alarm. Seeing his reaction would have made Yazoo's smirk broaden, only he swiftly rid his face of emotion, wishing to keep his intentions as indiscernible as possible.

"If you're speaking of Aurei…" Somewhat nervously, the father pressed his glasses more into the bridge of his nose, even though the eyewear had barely shifted position. "I know she does… But whatever danger she gets into, she can handle herself. If you haven't seen her already, she is… a very capable fighter…"

The latter statement made Yazoo wonder if the father, as intimidated as he seemed, had just tried to spite him, for that had touched a nerve. Whether or not it had been intentional on the father's part, though, all that mattered was that it was an insult to Yazoo's pride.

"How did she learn to fight?" Although he wasn't about to admit Aurei was 'a capable fighter', he was intent on learning just _how_ she could have the skills to defeat them.

"Aurei has been in training ever since she was fourteen, under…" Yazoo, who was carefully scrutinizing the father's every reaction, made note of that pause. "Under an instructor here in Kalm."

"Who was it?" If this instructor happened to be affiliated with Shinra, then there was definitely a clue there.

"A private instructor, who used to live in Kalm. He's been… dead for a while now."

_No apparent affiliation with Shinra or W.R.O. yet…_ Given how much the father seemed to be hesitating and vague in his answers, he could be all but lying about the woman's history, although the fact he was obviously uncomfortable made it harder to tell—Yazoo could bet this hadn't been the father's idea of a casual conversation.

"Yazoo… I hope that you aren't placing doubt in my daughter… She's a trustworthy individual, and all she wants is to help Kallie."

'_All she wants is to help Kallie…'_ Those words had been more or less what Aurei had said to Loz on their way here, and he really had to wonder if that was actually all she wanted out of them… Then again, there was the more-than-likely possibility that, after their arrival, Aurei had provided warning to her father, and interrogation would have been difficult from the start anyways.

"The only thing I ask of you and your brother is for you to assist—"

"Do you not even know who we are?"

Yazoo's question, inflected with heavy derision, was what flustered the father most as of yet. His stutter after the interruption was all too evident now, and Yazoo could only hope that it meant he was closing in on the truth.

"Y-yes, we do…"

"And yet, you ask _us_ to be allies?" Considering just how freely they placed their trust in the silver-haired brothers, Yazoo had to wonder if naivety was hereditary in the orange-haired girl's family.

"We… may have no other choice." By now, the father had decided to keep his gaze to the floor, seemingly afraid to make any further contact with Yazoo's. "Kallie may be on a mission to rescue her cousin, but I fear… it is something much more serious than a kidnapping."

_Trying to earn my sympathy, is he?_ Only, Yazoo would have him know that he wouldn't muster an ounce of pity for anyone. "As if her predicament concerned me to begin with."

"But… from what I understand, Aurei and Kallie both have helped you out quite a bit, so… why don't you return the favor?"

From where their conversation was headed, Yazoo should have known that argument would have been brought against him again, and if anything was to incite even a hint of exasperation from him, that would have been it. As gently as the father had intoned the plea, it had almost sounded like a challenge, and Yazoo was willing to interpret it as such.

Advancing slightly, his gaze bordering on menacing, he was more than ready to ridicule the father's request, to reiterate that he and Loz owed this man's daughters absolutely nothing at all. Even when Yazoo heard the front door open, he wouldn't let himself be sidetracked—at least, until he heard a familiar female voice, and he halted, aware that the interrogation had come to its end. On the other hand, the father seemed highly relieved by the disruption, and had risen from his chair almost eagerly.

"Aurei, Kallie?"

Aware that he was blocking the doorway, that was the only reason Yazoo stepped back out into the living room, so the father could hurry past and see that his daughters had indeed returned, although probably not in a manner he had been expecting. While Aurei appeared to be unharmed, the same couldn't be said of Kallie: sagging against her sister, her arm was slung around her shoulders, and although there were no apparent external injuries, her grimace indicated that she was in some sort of pain.

"Kallie!" cried the father in alarm, hastening towards his daughters. "Are you all right? Are you hurt badly? What happened out there?"

In spite of the animosity the orange-haired girl had shown him earlier, somehow that didn't stop her father from fretting over her condition. Though he remained apathetic, Yazoo couldn't understand how the father could possibly be still concerned about her, as she looked displeased to see him.

"I'm fine," she muttered, and Yazoo did not fail to miss the dark glare she next shot at him after spotting he was in the room too. Not even bothering to guess that she had been in a scuffle out in the field and had lost, he merely smirked in response, wordlessly deriding her pitiful state.

"I'll explain later. I have to cure Kallie first." Whether she was being oblivious or not, Aurei ignored the silent exchange between Kallie and Yazoo. "Firstly, I hope Yazoo wasn't being a disturbance, Father."

If there was one thing she wouldn't turn a blind eye to, apparently, it would be any threat against her father, and Yazoo didn't think she would pretend that she hadn't seen him appearing from the bedroom. While Yazoo didn't believe that she could possibly present any further threat to them, he still didn't want to have to reveal his motives in any way. Just as he was thinking of simply walking back outside to avoid it altogether, however, he was unexpectedly spared her questioning.

"Don't worry, he wasn't, Aurei," the father said, managing a wan smile. "I just wanted… to have a few words with him."

At the father so suddenly providing that excuse, Yazoo himself was momentarily surprised, yet dismissed it under the notion that he was most likely trying to get on his good side—did all humans assume that they could win over anyone with such petty favors? On the other hand, while it was hard to decipher if the woman actually believed her father, her suspicions probably hadn't been lessened. After eying Yazoo dubiously, she proceeded to assist her sister into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

Looking on, Yazoo noted out of the corner of his eye that Loz had appeared in the front doorway, more than likely curious as to what had been going on indoors. However, he was soon to be ushered back out by Yazoo who, with a simple glance, implied he had something important to discuss. Speaking to Loz wasn't something he ever looked forward to, but Yazoo knew it was up to him to make sure that his brother wasn't going to bungle things again.

Quietly, the father had been watching Yazoo as he had exited the cottage with Loz, perhaps in anticipation that he just might thank him for that small favor. Of course, by the time Yazoo had shut the door behind him, no such signs of gratitude had been shown. Yet, when it would seem he would be ultimately dismayed at a lack of acknowledgement… instead, as the father's blue-gray eyes lingered on the closed door, a small smirk crossed his aged features.

* * *

After having been on her feet for so long, and still afflicted by the monster's attack, Kallie's journey back to the cottage had felt much more arduous than it should have. When she and Aurei had at last returned, it hadn't helped one bit that Yazoo, Loz, and her father were all there to see her in such a weakened state—something which had probably made Yazoo happy, judging from the sneer he had given her. Thus, it was an even greater relief once they had gone inside Aurei's room, and Kallie could ease herself down onto her bed. Despite the discomfort from the lingering numbness, however, that still hadn't been the most pressing issue on her mind.

Everything had just gotten a hell of a lot more complicated, more so than she could have ever imagined, and more so than she had ever wanted it to be.

Following Kallie's desperate cry for explanations, Aurei had been silent for a while as they had been walking away from the battle site. Although she had stated her willingness to provide those answers, Kallie knew her preceding silence meant that she honestly hadn't planned to reveal this so soon.

_That can only mean… she's known about this all along…_

If Aurei hadn't been the one to send the package, let alone that note telling her to go to Kalm's outskirts, then how come she had appeared at such a timely moment? How had she known that Kallie was to arrive here in Kalm at all?

It had been then that Kallie so suddenly recalled the vision that had come to her as she and the two brothers had been departing Midgar's ruins, the result of a desire and a half-hearted attempt to see how her friends were coping. To her, the notion had been so ridiculous that she had easily chosen to disregard it, not to mention it was so fleeting as to be easily forgotten.

With all that had just happened, however, the details had refreshed themselves in her mind, and there was no question now that Aurei had been that woman she had seen seated against the tree. Not only her, but also that boy on the motorcycle… did he have something to do with all this too? The questions were simply anxious to be voiced aloud, and as Aurei still hadn't said a word, Kallie couldn't stand to be left in the dark anymore.

"Well?"

"It's more difficult to explain than you may believe it to be." It didn't sound like a reprimand—even Aurei seemed overwhelmed at the moment. "I… had planned to tell you later, at the appropriate time… But, events are moving much faster than I had anticipated them to, and it seems like I no longer have a choice."

"Just spill." Kallie didn't care if she was letting her temper slip now. "I've got every damn right to know what the hell's going on."

Shutting her eyes briefly, Aurei sighed. "Fine then. I'll tell."

At last, it was the moment of truth. Kallie's heart, already pounding a little quicker than usual, skipped a beat. Aurei's grip around her shifted, pulling her into a more comfortable position, and she began.

"To start off, I must dispel a possible misunderstanding on your part… You believe that you can use magic without a materia, correct?"

"Um, _yeah_…"

"It may seem that way… But, your power is still derived from a materia."

"I don't have a single damn materia on me…_"_ Had Kallie any more strength left in her, she would have been far more vehement with that line. People had to have materia equipped, or else they couldn't use magic in the first place! What the hell was Aurei trying to get at?

"Your reaction was the same as mine, when I made the discovery years ago…"

Kallie actually stopped dead in her tracks, forcing Aurei to halt too.

"You… _what?_"

Nodding gravely, Aurei closed her eyes. "Eight years ago, you could say I was also… awakened. Like you, I was in a situation that threatened my life, and I cast a Blizzard spell seemingly without the aid of a materia."

"What the hell do you mean by… _'seemingly'_?" Why did she keep reiterating that? "There isn't any other…" And then, Kallie's eyes widened when the only possibility had hit her. "No… You don't mean…?"

"I mean it. Our power—an ability that you and I share—is derived not from a materia equipped externally, but a materia that is a part of our very being."

Whether Aurei had meant to or not, her grip on Kallie had loosened ever so slightly, as if she herself was perturbed that she finally had to divulge such a shocking truth. However perturbed or disturbed or unsettled she might feel, though, it paled in contrast to how Kallie received it. The slack in Aurei's grip was enough that Kallie's arm slipped from around her shoulders and, still unable to stand on her own two legs, she fell to her knees, crumpling against her sister. Regardless of how much strength she had, though, Kallie doubted it would have made her reaction any different.

"No, no…" she murmured towards the earthen road. "It's not possible… not possible… That can't be possible… It just can't be… That… That _can't_ happen…"

In spite of her vigorous denial, however, Kallie knew it was possible, as much as it defied everything that she had ever, ever believed in. Everything that she had been taught about materia. A person could only use magic with materia equipped on a weapon or item, and that was that. There were no exceptions. That had been all she had known, and yet, it slowly must have been dawning on her—deep down—that, ever since that day in Midgar's ruins, something was out of the ordinary with her.

She just wouldn't have ever imagined that it was because a materia was a part of her very body.

She still couldn't.

"I am sorry," said Aurei, after a short while. She had been simply standing there all this time, as if her confession had had a tremendous impact on her too.

Stooping slightly, Aurei pulled Kallie back onto her feet, and they proceeded to walk again. Yet, even though Kallie should have recovered even a little by now, more than ever she just wanted her sister to support her completely. She didn't want to have to walk or do anything that would require her own conscience—all she wanted was to retreat into herself, from all bodily functions, so she could simply reexamine this body that she had thought she so thoroughly understood.

This revelation hadn't just uprooted all that she had believed about magic and materia: now she couldn't help but think of her own body in an entirely new light. Throughout her life, Kallie had known she was fairly strong and sturdy for a girl, and had always been in good shape. Did this… materia have anything to do with it? How much of an influence had this materia had on her very being, even before it had been 'awakened'?

Heck, for such a perversion of nature, was she even… human?

"H-how?" she asked, in a low voice. "How… is it even _possible?_ How do you even _know_ that it's a materia?"

"I've… pondered that myself since the beginning," was Aurei's solemn answer. "I can only surmise that the materia was integrated with our spirit energy, before we were physically conceived by our mother. As for how I'm sure it is indeed a materia… Well, you used spells similar to those cast by regular Fire materia, right?"

"Yeah…" admitted Kallie, after a moment of deliberation. "So then… you've got a Blizzard materia, or something like that?"

"Correct."

A short lull had passed then, Kallie still attempting to wind her head around all that had been disclosed to her so far. When she had glanced over at Aurei again, she spotted her gazing down at her free hand, as if reminded that her body too was something unnatural.

"I should also point out that, because of our bodies' integration with materia, we both have a heightened strength and weakness to certain kinds of magic. For instance, you are immune to Fire-related magic, and can even be healed by it, but you will be thoroughly damaged by Ice spells."

"And for you, it's vice versa?"

"Correct," she said again. "I also will never be able to equip Fire-based materia, although other materia will be fine."

"That's a good thing, I guess," Kallie murmured. "Aurei… Are those creeps ever going to find out about this?"

"They will, eventually."

"Whaddya mean, _'eventually'_?" Kallie still couldn't believe all that her sister was doing for those two men. "You're with me now, I don't need them anymore. I don't _care_ if they owe me a debt or something."

"It is something far more serious than that, Kallie. Did you already forget about those creatures that just attacked us?"

"What about them?" As ignorant as she might sound, however, Kallie knew those monsters had been wildly out of place.

"I believe they were summons, Kallie, and someone had been controlling them from afar. Not in our general area," she added swiftly, when Kallie had opened her mouth to interject. "It could have been anywhere, even a place miles away."

"Why, though…?"

"Those creatures had been meant to test us, or at least you," Aurei explained. "They might've continued to appear relentlessly, but stopped once you cast your Fire spell. Clearly, someone else is very interested in our powers, and they may be tied in with May's kidnapping. In fact… I'm sure the one who kidnapped her is working for whoever that may be."

"Why does May have to be brought into this?" Aurei's suspicion, voiced aloud, was enough of a shock to Kallie at first, only it morphed into anger soon enough. "What does May have to do with _anything?_ She's done nothing wrong, she never deserved to be dragged into this!"

"Her kidnapping may have been meant to draw you out into the open, especially if that note telling you to go to Kalm's outskirts had been sent by those people too." She sighed, and in her peripheral vision, Kallie saw her shut her eyes again. "To think that, after all these years of preparation, my skills will finally be put to the test…"

"You mean… you _knew_ this was gonna happen?"

"I'd been warned that I wouldn't be able to keep my powers a secret forever. I guess the day of reckoning—for both of us—has finally come."

And that had been the last exchange of words they had had on their arduous journey back to the cottage; more questions had still been whirling around in her head, yearning to be spoken aloud, yet none had a definitive form. Besides, with every question that she might ask, she knew, another would come to take its place. That, and she would be just overwhelmed with every answer that Aurei would provide… For now, Kallie was content with the information she had so far.

Presently lying on her sister's bed, barely a minute passed before Aurei equipped a Heal materia and promptly cast Esuna. It was the first time any sort of healing spell had been used on Kallie before, and to have her status ailment so abruptly alleviated was an odd—and yet uplifting—feeling. The moment she felt the numbness vanish, and feeling flooded back through her body, Kallie immediately sat up, not even experiencing any repercussion at doing so.

"I trust that was the only injury the creature dealt."

"Yeah, I feel fine now!" declared Kallie, stretching and flexing her previously ailed torso.

"In that case, there shouldn't be any delay in embarking on our journey tomorrow. Be sure to get some sleep, because we'll be leaving before dawn."

Avidly, Kallie nodded. Even if she hated the idea of waking at such an early hour, her determination to rescue May had never been so strong. There was just one thing she wasn't so certain about.

"Aurei… do you even have_ any_ idea where he might've gone? I was lead to you here, but now I don't know if this is the right way to go."

"If that note lead you here, chances are he was headed this way too." Removing the Heal materia from her glove, Aurei stowed it back into the case. "In fact… he just might be headed to Junon."

"Junon, seriously? Are you sure?"

"Perhaps we shouldn't go on impulse alone, but… I have a strong feeling that's his destination."

It was indeed worrying that even someone as knowledgeable as Aurei was obeying intuition, but as Kallie didn't have any better idea as to where to go, she was willing to go along with it. Pulling off her boots, she dropped them next to the bed before flopping down atop of the covers, placing her hands under her head.

"You're still gonna try to drag them along, aren't you?" Even if the kidnapper wasn't the only one involved in this, Kallie had all the more reason to believe those two silver-haired creeps were no longer necessary allies. "Good luck with that."

"Didn't I tell you, Kallie?" Sitting down on the cot opposite Kallie, Aurei crossed her legs, appearing very relaxed. "As strong as I may be, I still may not be enough… Whoever summoned those creatures can obviously wield powerful magic, possibly stronger than my own."

"But… why _them?_ Can't we find somebody else?"

"Put up a flyer for help, then. See if you'll actually be able to find someone capable enough."

"I'm not talking about that!" Why were people so persistent on lumping her together with that lot? First Mrs. Eliot, and now Aurei? Still unable to believe Aurei was being so stubborn, Kallie sat up in earnest. "We _can't_ trust them, Aurei! Didn't you even hear about what they did in Edge? They could've almost killed me _and_ May!"

"Keep your voice down, Kallie. It's not wise to speak ill of others behind their back, especially when they might actually be able to hear you."

Just as Kallie had opened her mouth to retort, however, still frustrated with Aurei's ignorance, Aurei suddenly clamped a hand over Kallie's mouth. Taken off guard, Kallie tried to pry her away, but her sister's grip was quite strong, and her fingers were rather cold too. Was there still lingering cold from the use of Blizzard magic, or did the Ice materia within her usually make them that cold?

"I know what they did in Edge, Kallie," she said. "I know that they're ruthless individuals who only care about their own goals, and will stop at nothing to achieve them. It is likely that they just might try to attack us again. However… I think that they'll soon see that we're invaluable to them."

"You mean…" gasped Kallie, when she was finally awake to break away. "You actually _want_ to help them out?"

"If it means saving May, then should that matter?"

Placing her palm to her forehead, Kallie groaned. Never did she think Aurei would be this impossible about the issue—no amount of persuasion was ever going to sway her resolute standpoint, it seemed, and there was nothing Kallie could do but give up.

"Well, you'd better be able to handle them again." Flopping back down onto the bed, she once more put her hands behind her head. "If you can actually get them to tag along."

"They will. I'll be having a word with them shortly." Rising from the cot, Aurei headed for the bedroom door. "First, though, I have to speak to Father. I must tell him everything of what transpired out in the field."

With that, Aurei shut the door behind her, once again leaving Kallie by herself in the room. This time, however, in spite of all the action that had occurred in the past hour, Kallie did not feel drained at all. Maybe that was a side effect from the Esuna, or maybe even because of the Fire materia she apparently had been carrying all her life. But, she knew it mainly had to do with all the thoughts buzzing like flies in her head that she couldn't swat no matter what.

Newfound powers… unwanted allies… mysterious foes… How much crazier was this adventure going to get?

* * *

For Loz, all had been peaceful over the past half hour or so as he had sat against the cottage, in the exact spot where Aurei and Yazoo had last spoken to him. All he had been able to do was think of Mother, and their mission that had presently come to a dead end, as hopeless as it all added up to be. Just when he didn't think he could bear it anymore, and thought of going back inside the cottage to speak to Yazoo, he was ultimately saved from his boredom.

Upon hearing dirt and gravel being trodden underfoot, Loz looked up and spotted the two sisters coming down the road. The manner in which they were returning, however, was what took him off guard slightly; at least, at seeing Kallie's weakened condition. Not that he felt any concern towards her… but, being curious nonetheless, he had watched as they had trudged up the hill, receiving a scowl from Kallie just before they entered the cottage.

For nearly a minute afterwards, he had listened to the conversation that ensued inside, and deliberated on following them in, just to see for himself what was going on. But the second Aurei made that accusation against his brother, that more than helped to make up his mind. Getting to his feet, Loz had appeared in the doorway just as the father had provided an alibi for Yazoo, and the latter, although appearing slightly surprised at first, looked on indifferently in response.

Regardless of whether or not the man's excuse was true, Aurei remained seemingly dubious of Yazoo, giving him a warning look before vanishing into the bedroom with her sister. Moments afterward, Loz found himself being shoved him back outside by Yazoo, who shut the door behind him as an indication that he had something important to relate, and didn't want to be overheard.

"I spoke to the father," Yazoo told him, before he could ask what had been going on.

"So you _did_ talk to him?" That alone astonished Loz; he had believed Yazoo wanted to stay away from the girl's family as much as possible. "Why?"

"To gather information." From his sharp tone, Yazoo almost seemed exasperated that the notion hadn't clicked with Loz right away, as if it should've been that obvious.

"Oh… What'd you find out?"

"Very little of interest. All I've learned is that Aurei has been training for over seven years, under a private instructor in Kalm. I didn't find out if they've had any affiliation with Shinra or W.R.O., for the father was guarded with his answers."

Even Yazoo was apparently frustrated enough that he was letting his emotions slip, a look of disgruntlement on his face, and judging from the way he was coldly eying Loz, he was probably blaming all these setbacks on him. Knowing he had been the one to botch it all in the first place, Loz could say nothing to defend himself, and there was no use asking for Yazoo's forgiveness.

"What now?" he asked with a sigh, slumping back against the cottage and folding his arms. "I really wanna get out of here."

"That's just what we're about to do."

As Loz stared at him, disbelieving, not immediately absorbing the abrupt declaration, Yazoo merely tilted his head at him.

"I said, we're leaving," he clarified, when Loz still appeared dumbfounded, and Loz thought he could see his expression beginning to soften. "There's no reason for us to stay here anymore."

However, Yazoo didn't even have to speak the latter sentence before Loz's initial astonishment had faded into something like glee, realizing that that sort of motion was just the thing he had been waiting for. Even if they didn't have a clue to Mother's whereabouts, that just meant they had to keep searching. They couldn't stop searching. Searching for and recovering Mother was all they knew—their only instinct, their only function—and that wouldn't ever change.

It simply couldn't.

There was nothing more for Yazoo to say in order to persuade Loz into walking towards the truck, more aware than ever of his healed leg with every stride he took. When Yazoo had seemed vexed before, as much as he had let it show through his emotionless mask, now even he appeared to be quite pleased with his decision.

Perhaps they should have waited for another opportunity when Aurei would be gone again, as she would most likely attempt to intercept their departure once she heard the truck start up. Yet, confident that she wouldn't stand a chance against them anymore, now that they were both at full health, the woman had become the least of Yazoo's worries. Thus, as he reached the truck door, he was more eager than ever to be free of this place, convinced there was nothing to hold them back any longer.

They wouldn't have ever expected to be detained like this.

Yazoo's fingertips had barely touched the door-handle when all of a sudden blinding white light consumed his vision. Automatically, his hand flew up in front of his face to shield his eyes, although he had doubted that would have done him any good to begin with. Having heard Loz cry out in surprise, Yazoo eased his eyes open to discover that Loz was still with him, and felt reassured that they weren't separated in this white void that had engulfed them.

"W-what happened?" While he too was relieved that they were together, Loz was glancing about madly in all directions. "Where _are_ we?"

Unable to think of anything himself, Yazoo instead drew Velvet Nightmare from its holster, grateful more than ever that it was reloaded. Although he couldn't fathom exactly what or where this place was, he knew that it had been conjured to thwart them, and it was more than likely that something—or someone—might stage an ambush. Also preparing himself for an assault, Loz doubled up his fists in anticipation. They looked around in the void, trying to gauge where a possible attack might come from, only there was nothing to be seen but white…

**Please, don't be afraid.**

The moment that voice had spoken, both Loz and Yazoo whirled on the spot, trying to spot the speaker, though they simply didn't know where to turn. Those words seemed to have emanated from everywhere.

"Who are you?" growled Yazoo, dubious in spite of the voice's assuaging message. Just where could he point the barrel? "What is this place?"

**A safe haven. You won't be harmed here.**

"You didn't answer his first question," Loz spoke up, a small trace of fear in his voice—he didn't like the idea that his brawn would most likely be useless here. "Who are you?"

It was strange to say this, but… all of a sudden, both brothers could have sworn that the speaker had just smiled, even though neither could envision a definitive face. It was simply… a _feeling_ they had.

**Someone who has been waiting to speak to you at last.** Before either brother had quite absorbed those words, the voice had added, **My children.**

And both brothers froze where they were standing. It was as if their bodies had forgotten that they were capable of movement; it was as if they themselves could barely utter a sound. Even Yazoo, in all his steeled composure, could not help but stare in shock, the hand that gripped his firearm dropping to his side. Loz's reaction, though, was the greatest of all: he had fallen onto his knees, completely unaware that he had done so, for all he knew was the voice that was speaking to them.

"Mo…ther?" he whispered, gazing into the void. It was so overwhelming that he could have wept, only he was too stunned to do even that.

Had their search really come to an end? Had they found her at last?

**Loz, Yazoo.** It seemed as though her smile broadened. **I am glad that you have made it this far.**

"Where are you, Mother?" Was even Yazoo's voice trembling? "Where can we find you?"

"Tell us, Mother!" Even though they still might not be together, she could guide them to her whereabouts!

**I will, but…** Her voice grew more grave. **Both of you have to know that recovering me will not be so easy.**

"That doesn't matter." Now that the initial shock was over, Loz had risen back onto his feet. "We'll do whatever we can for you!"

**Then, remain with those two women, Aurei and Kalina.**

"With… _them?_" Yazoo asked, in incredulity. It had been hard enough to believe that she had confirmed herself as Mother… but, now she was telling them _this?_ "Mother, they will only delay us in finding you."

**No, you will need them.** **Haven't you realized that you are much weaker than before?**

Although Loz and Yazoo stared at each other, disbelieving their ears, they knew Mother was right. There was no denying that they shouldn't have taken this long to heal—they should have recovered from their injuries days ago. However, they already had a suspicion as to what the cause of it had been.

"That rain…" murmured Loz, with a hint of dismay. "That rain's the reason, right?"

**It was, and the damage may be permanent. Furthermore… your adversaries are greater in number and power than you may have realized, and they are bent on your elimination. ** Mother's plea became even more earnest. **If you wish for your mission to succeed, then you **_**must**_** make Aurei and Kalina your allies.**

"Can we… trust them?" was Yazoo's inquiry, even if that had questioned a direct command from Mother herself.

**Yes, you can. They will not betray you, for they need your help as much as you will need theirs.**

Once again, the two brothers looked at each other, yet before they could come to a decision together, or discuss the matter further, Mother spoke again:

**Come seek me in Junon, my sons**, she said. **I will be waiting there.**

"Mother!" Loz cried suddenly, stepping forward. "Wait, we—!"

What little efforts he tried to make in stopping her departure, however, were in vain: the next thing they knew, they were back outside of the cottage, standing exactly where they had previously been beside the truck. The transition had all happened in the blink of an eye; in fact, it almost appeared if as they had never been sucked into that white void. For a few moments, they stood there, bewildered as they glanced around, unsure of exactly what to think, or if to believe at all that had really just happened.

"Mother?" whispered Loz, though when a few seconds went by and no response came forth, he looked over at Yazoo, eyes wide with wonder. "Did Mother… did she really just…?"

Being just as bemused as Loz, though, Yazoo said nothing, still trying to figure out if that had all been in their heads. There was no indication that she had been there at all, only her voice still echoed in his ears, crystalline clear. Especially since Loz had experienced the same exact thing, it couldn't have all been a hallucination, a figment of their minds…

Any chance to further revel in this mystery, however, was soon stolen away by the familiar sound of the cottage door opening. Turning around, neither brother was surprised to see that it was Aurei, her expression quite stern as her silver-gray eyes glanced over them, and it was then they so suddenly remembered they had just tried to make a getaway.

"Planning to run again, are we?" she asked, advancing as Loz hastened to take a couple of steps away from the vehicle. "Don't believe that just because you were cured means you're free to go. If you choose to fight back, I might not heal you this time once you're defeated."

"You overestimate yourself," scoffed Yazoo as he placed Velvet Nightmare back into its holster, having recalled just then that he still held the firearm.

Wait a second… after that void had engulfed them, hadn't he drawn Velvet Nightmare on the belief that someone had been planning an ambush? He certainly hadn't had it out when he had left the cottage, and vividly remembered it being secure in its holster after it had been reloaded… Had the vision had been real after all? Had Mother really spoken to them, telling them of her whereabouts?

And then, did that mean they were really supposed to ally with the sisters?

"Tell that to my sister, not me." Shifting her weight onto one leg, her gaze hadn't lessened of suspicion as she scrutinized them again. "I'd just come to ask if you would like to join us, but I suppose you still don't want to."

"You assume too much. What if we were just…" A soft smirk then began to curl Yazoo's lips. "Readying the truck for tomorrow?"

"Oh?" She actually appeared mildly surprised. "Then your answer is…?"

"Loz and I have been talking it over." Knowing Loz must have made some expression of astonishment, Yazoo shot him a glance telling him to play along. "Don't delude yourself for one second that we care for your sister's plight, but we've decided that we are in need of a couple of… _allies._"

"Then this is the part where you say, 'just kidding', and pull the trigger on me, right?"

Aurei had spoken the line with such seriousness that the brothers almost didn't register it as a sarcastic remark—in fact, neither could tell if she had actually attempted to pull a joke. Nonetheless, Loz began to snicker before letting out a guffaw, and Yazoo himself followed with a brief chuckling at such a blatantly ironic statement. They might have actually done that, had Mother not told them just how much they needed the sisters…

"And here, I had planned out this whole argument in order to convince you both to stay." While Aurei had given a small laugh herself, somehow she still refrained from smiling. "However, there is something important regarding Kallie that you must know."

Up until then, both Loz and Yazoo had been smirking, though that instantly vanished once that name had been mentioned.

"If you're asking us to be easy on her just because she's useless," stated Yazoo coldly, "Then that will be one thing we won't agree on."

"To tell you the truth… I was just going to say you're not going to have to worry about that in the slightest."

"How?" piped up Loz. "Didn't you just—?"

"There's more to my sister than what might've first met your eye."


	11. An Uncertain Alliance

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 11**

_An Uncertain Alliance_

Although May well knew by now that she wasn't again in the grasp of the silver-haired trio, and that she and this boy were the only ones driving along this unknown road, it was still too frighteningly similar to the last time she had been kidnapped.

_Just __**where**__ is he taking me?_

That same question, May easily recalled, had repeated itself over and over in her head as the silver-haired stranger had driven them to that white forest. However, she had come to realize that she was the only one now, unless there were more abducted kids at their destination. Wherever that happened to be, though, it couldn't be the same place from before—the passing scenery seemed completely different this time.

Although she had been awake for the entire previous journey, how long she had been unconscious this journey May couldn't be certain, and thus she wasn't sure of how much time had passed since that boy had broken into her apartment. Judging from the fact that it was nearly nightfall now, and it had been around that time when she had lost consciousness, it was entirely possible that a day had passed already. Still… she had been out for _that_ long?

Then again, she had probably been blacked out for nearly that long before, after that silver-haired teenager had made her drink the black water that was supposed to have cured her and all those other children. Come to think of it, she still hadn't yet figured out what that boy had wanted to gain from them. Did that have anything to do with what this boy wanted?

_What does anybody want with me…?_ It was all just so confusing and unfair. _I'm just another kid! I just wanna go home!_

Tried as she might now, though she could suppress her despondency before, there was no stopping the return of tears. The thought of being taken farther and farther away from those she loved, and had never wanted to leave behind again, had come to the point where she couldn't bear it any longer. Now more alone and frightened than she could ever remember being, never had she yearned more for their company, for their solace.

Who knew where she was going to end up? Who knew what this boy had in store for her? She had never wanted to feel that way again—she didn't!

_Mrs. Eliot, Colin, Lucie…_ A tear slipped down her cheek. _Kallie… Daddy!_

Before she knew it, she began to cry. Though she was still terrified that the boy would hear her, that did nothing to stem the flow of tears—in fact, her terror just made her cry harder, her lungs shuddering with the intensity. And, just as she feared, the boy took notice.

In her peripheral vision, May saw him glance over his shoulder at her, then he suddenly veered the motorcycle off the road, instantly driving onto bumpy, rough terrain, and she knew instantly he was going to stop. An iron grip clenched around her heart, and it was as if the organ began to beat desperately against it in an attempt to escape.

_Oh no…_ That fear was all it took to cease her sobs. _W-what'll he do with me?_ Maybe he didn't like her crying? Was he going to do something to silence her?

Her breath anxiously bated, her cheeks still wet with tears, the boy pulled over behind a tall outcropping of rocks that blocked the road from view, gradually braking to a halt there. The rumble of the engine soon died down, and the vehicle listed to the right as the boy put a foot to the ground before straightening up. May could hear the cracking of his spine as he stretched out, grunting, after what must have been a long journey hunched over like that.

"_Man_, that feels good," she heard him mutter, groaning as he next stretched out his arms. After a last exhale, he twisted around slightly, and even though May determinedly kept her head down so she wouldn't have to look at him, she could still sense his gaze.

"You're awake finally." May's heart gave another little thump at his direct acknowledgment of her consciousness. "I was hoping I hadn't overdone that spell. She really wouldn't've been happy if I'd accidentally made you croak."

'_She'…?_ Did he mean Kallie? Mrs. Eliot even? He didn't mean he had done something to them too, did it? No, that was too horrible to imagine, to even think of… He couldn't have! He just couldn't have!

Meanwhile, the boy had stretched out one last kink in his neck before May felt the ropes around her shift, and she abruptly realized that he must be untying it. At the idea of being released in any sort of way from her bonds, however, the first impulse that struck her was that she might have an actual chance at freedom; the idea of escape was enough to compose her if only for a few brief moments.

Eagerly, she waited as the boy unraveled the rope from around them until it dropped to the ground, and then he climbed off the motorcycle. Feeling his hands grip her around the waist, he lifted her off the seat, and the moment her feet were placed back on the ground, that was when May made a break for it.

Unfortunately, it didn't quite go as she had planned—as she made to dash away, the rope got caught around her foot, tripping her up and causing her to fall. Before she could hit the ground, however, an arm had caught her around the waist and swiftly pulled her back onto her feet.

"Oy, you're a slippery one," he snickered, his grip tightening around her arm. "Just so y' know, you'd be shredded by monsters if ya ran away, so you'd better stick with me."

Her eyes still averted, May's only response was to shake her head vigorously, trying to tug herself away from him, but his grip was too strong. Instead, she gasped when he yanked her closer to him, placing a gloved hand under her chin and forcing her to look into piercingly bright blue eyes.

"Look, kiddo, I ain't gonna do _anything_ to you, so don't be so nervous."

But… he already _had_ done stuff to her… Breaking into her apartment, knocking her out, taking her away from her friends and only remaining family member… Maybe it was comforting to hear from his own mouth that he wasn't going to hurt her, yet she still couldn't find enough reasoning to trust him; therefore she was only able to shake her head fervently again, though still couldn't free herself from his grasp.

Somewhat exasperatedly, he sighed. "Have it your way."

Unexpectedly, however, he let her go, an action that caught May so unawares that she almost didn't think of trying to escape again. Yet, knowing that he was probably right about the monsters, and he would probably again catch her before she could get anywhere, May realized why he had relinquished his hold in the first place. Even if the prospect of escape was presently hopeless, though, at least she could actually move around now, and at once, all the little annoyances that had plagued her during the trip came back like a tidal wave.

She wiped the tears off of her cheeks, rubbed where her arms had been chafed by the ropes, scratched an itch on her side, and fixed her pigtails that had almost fallen out completely at this point. As May had been attending to these frivolities, she couldn't help but notice that the boy had been watching her rather amusedly, and at once his stare made her nervously stop. Smirking, he turned to rummage inside a bag that had been sitting in front of him on the motorcycle.

"Here, kid, you've gotta be starving."

Before May had a chance to turn away from him again, the boy had plucked an apple out of his bag and placed it in her hands. Staring at the fruit for a few moments, taken aback, she looked back up to see him smirking down at her still, his arms folded as if proud that he had shown her this kindness.

"What? It ain't like it's poisoned." May flinched as he suddenly leaned in towards her. "I told you, I'm not gonna hurt you. I've gotta keep you nice and healthy."

Perhaps May didn't want to fully trust anything this boy said, but for once she decided to take his word for it, as she so suddenly found she was _hungry._ As if it had smelled the food, her stomach had given a growl, and May was quick to take a bite out of the apple to immediately give it some satisfaction. Hastily, she took another bite, sitting down as the boy got an apple for himself and leaned back against the motorcycle.

Now that his attention wasn't focused on her, May took the chance to scrutinize this boy more, as she had only had a glance of his entire appearance before he had knocked her out. The first thing that stood out to her, and which she remembered even from that brief glance, was his physique and stature, similar to that of the silver-haired boy's. Even then, he was much more slender, and although May could be wrong, it seemed like he didn't eat as regularly as most people ought to.

Something else that had caused May to confuse him with the silver-haired boy was the hair, although that had only been initial: while it was around the same length, it was shorter, blatantly sandy blond, and much more unkempt. His garments, already appearing to be hand-me-downs of some sort, looked travel-worn as well, unlike the other boy's sleek, black leather uniform. They both carried swords, and their facial features were both quite youthful as well, albeit this boy's weren't as delicate.

_But… that smirk…_

Remembering that smirk that the silver-haired boy had fixated her with, as he had been waiting for her and all the other children to drink the black water, was enough to make May pause, the apple lowering from her lips. Never had she wanted to ever see that smile again, or anything like it, but it was almost the same as the one that she had seen this boy wearing, moments before she had blacked out. If there was perhaps anything both had in common, it was that malevolent expression, and that could only indicate something terrible was in mind for her.

"Why… did you take me away?"

The boy had ceased his chewing, and May could sense his curious gaze upon her again, but her eyes were once again trained on the half-eaten apple in her hands, which were now trembling slightly.

"Why did I have to leave them again?" Clutching the apple in one hand still, she used the back of the other to hide her tearing eyes again. "W-why do you want me at _all_?"

Her shoulders beginning to shudder, May hung her head in an attempt to hide her tears, as hopeless as she knew it would be. The apple threatened to drop from her hands, until it actually did when a sob escaped from her. As a lapse in appetite had come around again, she actually almost didn't care—at least, not until she felt a presence in front of her. Her head snapping up, with a shock she saw that the boy was crouching before her, the apple that should have hit the ground in one hand.

_H-how…?_ How did that boy move so _fast?_ She hadn't even heard him get up!

"You're needed, that's why, May." Smiling condescendingly, he placed the apple back in her hands, and she remarked with further surprise that it wasn't dirtied at all. "Don't drop this again, 'cuz I don't have a lot of food to spare."

Rather than being assuaged, though, what he told her only struck a novel feeling of dread into her.

"What… for?"

May jumped suddenly as the boy gave a burst of laughter, and for that fleeting moment he seemed deranged. "I would've told you if I knew that myself! I was only gonna be told once I brought you back."

But… back where? "Are you taking me back to that forest…? The one that has all the glowing trees?"

From the puzzled, deriding look he gave her, however, May quickly realized he didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about. So, did that mean he wasn't affiliated with the silver-haired boy after all?

"I don't know what the _hell_ you're on about," he said, and May flinched at the swear word. Even when Kallie did accidentally let a profanity slip, she was quick to stop short or apologize, which the boy didn't at all. "C'mon, kid, don't be so scared. I tell ya, you're gonna be _fine._"

_No, I won't be…_

The boy walked off a distance, though still close enough to thwart any escape, and so May merely tried to continue to eat her apple, albeit she was only able to manage a small bite at a time. It just wasn't the same as being back in her kitchen, enjoying Kallie's succulent meals and bantering with her cousin at the table… No, she wouldn't be fine, she just _wouldn't_ be—not until she was safely back in the comforts of her home in Edge, the only place where she knew everything would be okay.

* * *

_Get to sleep, Kallie… C'mon, get to __**sleep.**_

The more she repeated the mantra in her head, however, the more it was having the opposite effect. For the past few hours after everyone—excluding the silver-haired brothers—had retired to bed, Kallie remained wide awake. Tossing and turning about, she had to ponder just how Aurei, reposed on the cot nearby, had been able to fall asleep so quickly. Even if she had already been conditioned to these sort of things long ago, it was still remarkable just how stoically she handled it all.

For Kallie, however, everything that had transpired today was the sole source of her insomnia. She still couldn't accept this new reality she had been thrust into, let alone believe it had discreetly been at work all along.

_How come I didn't realize this until now?_ Kallie wasn't even referring to the few instances where her powers had revealed themselves. Aurei had said that she had 'awakened' several years ago, so why hadn't Kallie? Had there been signs—indications—that had always been there, but Kallie had simply missed?

Rolling onto her back, she found it a little frightening that she really hadn't understood all her body's functions to begin with. There was reassurance, however, in the fact that she at least appeared to be the one in control: the only harm dealt so far had been to her enemies. Besides, Aurei could exercise complete control over her magic, to the point that she appeared to be using a regular materia, and Kallie was certain now that her training was most likely meant to harness these abilities, rather than mastering the chakrams.

_In fact…_ Kallie suddenly realized with a slight start. _I'm sure now that's what she meant from the beginning by my training._

Although Kallie wished she had asked about it before, one of the most pressing things on her mind was that sense of déjà vu that had overtaken her after the monster had thrown her into the air, and which had possessed her as she had slain it. Looking back on it now, it still felt as though—for those thirty seconds—it had been a stranger acting through her, as 'Kallie Bradford' would have never been capable of the feats she had done.

Yet, once Aurei had told her that it was the work of a materia inside her own body, Kallie had slowly deduced a reason herself. It was elementary knowledge what materia were: condensed mako, the liquid form of the Lifestream, and thus containing memories of those who had long since passed. Exactly who those people were was a source of debate, but it was often suggested that they had been the legendary Cetra, or Ancients.

Many had come to the same conclusion: they had been the original spell casters, able to perform magic without any equipped, external aid, and had most likely lived eons ago. The thought that she had been accessing the memories of one those people, of course, was enough to make her feel like she was about to hyperventilate. With a silent groan, she grasped her unbraided hair in her hands.

_What the hell is this?_ Kallie didn't want to be harboring any person's memories or conscience other than her own! She just wanted to be _Kallie_, simple as that, and she was perfectly fine with who she was! Did this mean she was going to become a different person? Was there _nothing_ she could do about any of this?

'_There is no stopping this tide that is about to overwhelm you.'_

_That's right…_ Slowly unwinding her fingers from her hair, she let them slide back behind her head as she gazed up at the ceiling. _Last night's dream… Was that really just a dream?_

It had been just yesterday morning, Kallie remembered, that she had refused to believe the dream had any factuality to it, that it was telling her to _trust_ the two individuals that had tried to abandon her. But the additional proof she had been asking for, to confirm that that dream was telling the truth, had easily presented itself here in Kalm: discovering powers and a family she hadn't known existed was certainly something more than what she had been originally searching for.

_That voice, and that dream… they both have to be connected to my powers somehow._ Maybe, if she really was experiencing someone else's memories, then… could the voice belong to that very person?

At that thought, her reaction was even more distraught than before: Kallie shot up in bed, her head once again in her hands while she shook it ferociously, as if to shake the spirit from her very being. The idea that she could slip into someone else's conscience was one thing, but for that person to actually be _alive_ inside of her was comparable to a parasite! Not to mention it would have to mean this 'parasite' had been with her all her life, and it was enough to make her stomach turn over.

Brushing out her bangs, Kallie looked over at her sister, lying with her back turned to her, her sleep undisturbed. Had Aurei ever heard the same voice as Kallie had, or at least somebody similar? Come to think of it, were someone else's memories also the source of Aurei's skill and power?

That would certainly explain a lot: while she had been in training for seven years, even that wouldn't have seemed to be enough to defeat two men like the silver-haired brothers. The blizzard-like attack that had been Aurei's finishing move—more specifically, Kallie realized, a limit break—was what had dazzled Kallie the most, simply because of the sheer amount of power it must have taken to send both of her adversaries flying out of the ring.

_Does that mean… my materia could make me that strong someday?_

For the first time that night, as Kallie looked down at her hands, she actually felt _thrilled_ about her powers—if only at the prospect of being able to wield that kind of strength. The one reason she had been forced to make Yazoo and Loz her allies in the first place was because of Mrs. Eliot's urging, that she wouldn't be strong enough to face the kidnapper on her own. Only, now with the promising prophecy that the dream had entailed to her, she could actually stand a chance alone!

_For now, though,_ Kallie grudgingly hated to admit, _I am going to need their help until my magic's developed enough—at least Aurei's, anyway._

Fuming slightly, Kallie glowered toward the bedroom door, beyond which she had last seen the brothers before she, Aurei, and their father had decided to get some sleep. Having been fully awake and restless for the past few hours, however, and Aurei having stated that they would most likely depart at six A.M., before sunrise, Kallie decided any sort of rest right now was futile.

Unfortunately, she had also become quite thirsty, and the only sources to get water from were either in the kitchen or the bathroom. Going to those places would mean she would have to be in their presence, some way or another. In all probability, though, they had snuck out already, having reconsidered their options, or perhaps had wanted to lead the sisters on in the first place, just for their own amusement—they were evil enough that Kallie wouldn't put it past them to do such a thing.

Ironically enough, the more she thought about it, the more her curiosity was aroused, to the point that she just had to see for herself if they were sticking around still. Being as restless as she was, Kallie was just going to take her chances. Not feeling terribly motivated to braid her hair, she merely let it stay down as she pulled the covers off of herself. Taking care to be quiet, she climbed out of bed and tiptoed to the door, opening it a crack and peering out.

_I knew it!_

That was the first thing to come across her mind the moment she had looked into the dark living room to see—just as she had suspected—that neither silver-haired brother was there. Yet, her hopes were instantly dashed when she caught the sounds of running water; looking to where the bathroom was located, she saw that the door was closed, and light shown from the crack at the bottom.

While there was a possibility it was her father in there, Kallie remembered that Loz had been just as dirty as Yazoo had been when she had first come across him a week ago. Somehow, she had a feeling that Yazoo had urged his brother to finally clean up, as that sounded too much like something he would do.

As for where the pretty boy himself was, that wasn't immediately evident as she stepped out into the living room. Kallie knew he had to be here still, since she had spotted his gun harness (holstered gun included) lying on the couch. When she went to fill up a glass of water for herself from the kitchen facet, she looked out through the window above to see if he was outside, and was mildly baffled that he was nowhere in sight.

_Just what__** is**__ that creep up to now?_ Probably something shady, that was for sure.

While she drank from her glass, she remained gazing out the window at the half-moon visible outside, its faint rays the only current source of light in the cottage. Behind her, the sounds of running water had since ceased from the bathroom, replaced now with splashing and an occasional soft, deep grunt that was easily recognizable as belonging to Loz. So, he indeed happened to be in there, but just where was Yazoo?

Turning back around, Kallie leaned back against the counter, her eyes falling upon the gun harness that lay upon the couch. For him to simply have left it there was a wonder in itself, as surely it might occur to him that somebody might mess around with it, but maybe that was a sign he might actually somewhat trust them now…

_What a weird-looking weapon_, Kallie remarked to herself, examining what she could of it from here.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she set the glass down and walked over to the couch. After a moment's deliberation, she gingerly picked up the firearm with both hands since it was quite heavy, actually pulling the gun out partway to get a better look at the intricate design on the barrel. Never had Kallie seen any sort of firearm such as this, and it had probably been custom-made, like his jacket seemed to be. Just where did he and his brother even _get_ stuff like this?

"I'd leave that be if I were you."

The voice had spoken out of nowhere, so near and startling her so much that she at once dropped the gun back onto the couch, not even bothering to push it back into its holster. Wheeling back around, she saw the owner of the weapon himself standing only a few feet away, looking none too pleased that she had been handling his possessions.

"Uh, just looking, my bad," she immediately apologized, quickly stepping away from the couch. His approach had been so quiet and stealthy that she hadn't heard even the slightest movement of leather, and he might have just appeared out of thin air. "Where've you been hiding?"

Naturally, he acted as if she hadn't said a thing, merely picking up the firearm and sliding it all the way back into the holster. Setting the gun harness on the floor, he took a seat where the gear had previously been. Although Kallie still stood there, arms crossed, waiting for a reply, he kept his gaze aimed elsewhere.

"Fine, don't answer me, like usual," she sighed as she returned to the counter, picking her glass back up before turning back to him, having just realized where he might have been. "You weren't snooping around in my dad's room again, were you?"

Although silence was his usual response, Kallie knew it was best to assume that had been a 'yes'. There really wasn't anyplace else he could have been, not to mention Aurei had warned her that they most likely still wouldn't place their complete trust in her family.

"Jeez, no reason to be so secretive," she huffed. "Well, if you were digging around for information about him, what'd you find out?"

"Why do you ask?" Yazoo suddenly spoke, and Kallie nearly started at the unexpected reply. "That information is what you should already know."

_Will you look at that—he talks!_ "Believe or not, I probably wouldn't. Aurei just told me that he's an ecologist who works for W.R.O. _'in a way'_."

"And that was all I found out."

Taking his usual measures to make sure his voice was as impassive as possible, he happened to be suppressing quite a bit of frustration that he hadn't been able to find out anything more about her family in general. Once they had all turned in for the night, Yazoo had occupied himself with browsing the bookshelf in the living room, spending nearly the next two hours examining the contents of its books—perhaps there could be some kind of incriminating note tucked discreetly into one of the volumes.

But, when that had turned up nothing, he decided to next try the bookshelf he had remembered seeing in the father's room, which was full of folders and binders where there was more likely to be some kind of clue. As he had approached the door to make sure that the father was indeed asleep, however, Loz had stopped him.

"Wait, you're gonna go into his room?" Loz had asked, somewhat incredulously, and Yazoo halted in his tracks, already being exasperated with him. Other than asking an occasional question regarding the material Yazoo happened to be reading, his brother had merely been sitting on the couch the entire time, doing absolutely nothing to aid in the research. Not that he would have been a help anyways.

"I have to find out about as much as this family as I can." As he was about to quietly enter the room, Yazoo had coldly looked back over his shoulder at Loz. "Why don't you actually make good use of your time here and get yourself clean? I doubt you've even realized how filthy you are."

After taking a moment to see an expression of surprised hurt cross Loz's face, Yazoo opened the door as quietly as he could and, peering inside, had been pleased to confirm that the father seemed to be soundly asleep. For what felt like another hour he had leafed through the collection of notes and papers, certain that there should be at least _something_ here. Outside the room, he knew Loz had heeded his command, for he had heard the bathroom door close and the faucet turn on. Despite Yazoo's extensive browsing during the meantime, however, again he had turned up nothing, and he hadn't been sure where to search next.

_It didn't help that I was interrupted_, Yazoo reflected with discontent.

Upon having heard a door open, one that he knew wasn't the bathroom, he had had a feeling that it was most likely the woman coming to check up on her father. While he saw that it was her younger sister instead, it made him no less irritated that she actually had been _touching_ his equipment. Just because they happened to be teaming up didn't mean he would condone her crossing such lines, even if Mother herself had told him to trust the sisters, and this girl might actually be of some use after all.

Speaking of that… he still couldn't quite comprehend how someone as incompetent and insolent as she was could possibly harbor such power. Had he really been so ignorant before to have turned a blind eye to that kind of latent potential, a potential that even Mother seemed to believe in?

"Well, since this conversation's died pretty quickly," broke in the orange-haired girl's voice, "I'm gonna try to get some sleep. See ya in a few hours, I guess."

Not that Kallie had actually expected a real conversation between herself and this creep, as he was quite consistent with his taciturn tendencies. Placing her now-empty glass next to the sink, Kallie headed towards Aurei's bedroom somewhat eagerly, since she thought she might actually be feeling tired now.

Yet she had barely crossed the threshold of the living room when at last the bathroom door opened and Loz stepped out, forcing her to pull up short. It wasn't as if Kallie had wanted to stop, but he just so happened to be blocking the way to the bedroom. More unfortunately, the moment was a near recurrence of what had transpired the night before: he was unclothed from the waist up, his leather jacket and pauldrons clutched in one hand. Worse yet, he wasn't a bad sight to look at either—if anything, he was even more buff than his brother…

_Crap… Not this again_.

That was the only thought that occurred to Kallie in the few moments that passed as they simply stood staring at each other. Both were just as startled to see the other, and it wasn't helping that he didn't appear to be stepping aside anytime soon.

"Excuse me," she said hurriedly, including irritation in her voice as well just to prompt him to move. Thankfully, he did, and Kallie strode past him, more eager than ever to return to bed just so she wouldn't have to be in their presence any longer than she had to.

"Wait a sec."

Kallie froze once again, having just barely reached the door when Loz had spoken—remarkably, the first time he had actually said anything to her. For whatever reason, Kallie now was curious enough to know what he wanted that she turned back to him. He'd better tell her quick, though, because she didn't feel obliged to stick around for long.

"Yeah, what's up?" asked Kallie snappishly, planting her hands on her hips to indicate her lack of patience, trying not to look anywhere but at his face. When he glanced down at the jacket in his hand, however, it suddenly struck her exactly what he wanted from her, and which was confirmed as he held out the ravaged garment towards her.

"Fix this for me," he said, with all the bluntness of a pushy, demanding child. At such rude manners, Kallie was quick to refuse.

"I don't think so," she muttered under her breath, about to turn the doorknob and head inside for good. Just how much did these jerks think they could leech off of her?

"But you fixed Yazoo's."

It was almost astounding how, in spite of such rugged, manly looks, Loz could whine so childishly. Behind him, Yazoo, who was already watching them with disdain, didn't appear to be too happy that his name been dragged into this too. Sighing, Kallie examined the garment he still held out to her, noting that it was only half the length of Yazoo's jacket, although it appeared to be even more beat up than his had been; again, it was a observation she made with bewilderment. Just what exactly had these guys been through?

Then, she suddenly realized just how she could find out.

"Fine, I'll do it, but only on _one_ condition." In an action that seemed to take Loz aback, she smirked, crossing her arms assertively. "You tell me just exactly how you both ended up like this, how you got that injured and everything."

Starting slightly, Loz's hand that held the jacket lowered to his side, and he looked back at Yazoo almost pleadingly, as if unsure of how to respond to that, or if he should respond at all. At first, it almost seemed that Loz was going to keep his mouth shut—Yazoo shot him a warning stare that he had given him more than once today before looking away. When a few seconds had gone by and neither had provided the explanation she wanted, Kallie was just about to tell Loz to forget it when Yazoo suddenly spoke:

"That man we fought yesterday morning, in Midgar's ruins, is the one responsible. A week ago, he elicited an explosion that engulfed us all entirely. While it wouldn't have been enough to kill us, Loz and I were separated as a result."

"A week ago…?" echoed Kallie. Well, now it was confirmed that that swordsman indeed had been an enemy of theirs. "Do you mean… that same day you two let loose all that madness in Edge?"

By now, Kallie had deduced for herself that Yazoo simply wasn't one to give a straight answer, particularly one as blunt as 'yes' or 'no'. She knew, however, that he indeed did mean that one fateful day in Edge. Loz, in the meantime, had continued staring incredulously in Yazoo's direction, probably unable to believe that he had just divulged that.

But, once he realized that Yazoo had just provided the explanation she had been looking for, Loz turned back to her, a haughty grin plastered on his face as he again held out the jacket to her. Kallie sighed, knowing she had chased herself into a rabbit hole, but did feel satisfied that these men at least were actually somewhat cooperating now.

"Okay, a deal is a deal. You're lucky I'm awake enough to do this." And that she actually had brought her sewing kit, even if she had brought it to mend only her own clothing. "Put it on the kitchen table, I'll get to it in a minute."

Needless to say, it was a little under five minutes before Kallie did get to work on the repair, sewing kit in hand as she sat down at the table where Loz had put his jacket (tossed it there, rather) like she had asked him to, and she had turned on the light above the kitchen window so she could see what she was doing. Across from her, the brothers were now both sitting on either ends of the couch in silence, although Kallie was still trying not to glance Loz's way, since he didn't have any spare clothes to put on.

Were it under any other circumstances, Kallie would have considered herself… _lucky_ to be in such a presence, but the fact that they were more attractive and built better than most men just made her resent them even more—never had she felt so flustered even in front of other partially-naked men she had seen before. Fighting every urge to glance up, she kept her eyes trained on her work before her, though at times she thought she felt their gaze upon her.

Yet, as the silence grew heavier, the atmosphere steadily became more and more tense, just like it had been last night while she was mending Yazoo's jacket. While socializing with them wasn't really ideal, Kallie did want to get to know them better, seeing that there was little she could do now about their alliance.

"Say, you two… where did you get all your stuff from anyway? Like, your gun and your jackets? I've never seen anything like them before."

Expectedly, Loz was the only one to give her any attention. Even then, he glanced over at Yazoo, who gave little indication that he had heard her at all. From that, Kallie could infer they hadn't acquired their gear through honest means.

"Stole them, did you?"

"They've been rightfully ours from the start." If Yazoo was to be silent about anything, it seemed it wouldn't be about any direct accusation against him.

"Then why be so vague about it?" Kallie urged on, finishing her third stitch. "C'mon, where did you get them?"

Even if her persistent questioning was probably annoying them, and it might not be in her best interests to provoke, she actually trusted them enough that they wouldn't do anything too drastic. If anything, they had probably resigned themselves to this alliance as much as she had; for once, they actually had admitted they needed allies, but Kallie knew they were most likely only going to continue using both her and Aurei.

"It matters not where they came from." Yazoo's eyes were glancing over his firearm on the floor. "All that matters is if they happen to be useful."

_Only if they're useful, eh?_ Kallie knew he probably hadn't been referring to just weapons with that remark, but it made her smirk to think that they might actually consider her to be somewhat helpful after all.

"I used to have a pile bunker," Loz spoke up, slightly surprising Kallie that he actually wanted to add to this strained conversation. Then again, given how forlorn he sounded about it, he probably just wanted to complain. "But… Brother destroyed it."

"Eh?" In the middle of another stitch, she looked up, puzzled. "Who's 'Brother'?"

"That man we fought," Yazoo elaborated. "We're… unsure of his real name, hence we merely refer to him as 'Brother'."

"Okay, interesting…"

Doubting that he had been a blood relative, Kallie didn't even want to approach how 'Brother' got his name, yet she thought she might already have an idea. A week ago, when May had given her emotional account of what had taken place during her first kidnapping, she had mentioned that their youngest brother—the one Kallie had yet to see, and had nearly forgotten about completely—had referred to her and all the other Geostigma-infected children as 'brethren'.

On the topic of brothers, though, what had ever become of him? It had only been from May that she had learned there were three brothers, and not once had Yazoo or Loz even hinted that they did have a younger sibling. But, the other day when she had confronted Yazoo for the second time, believing he had information on the kidnapper, she couldn't forget his reaction upon mentioning a sword-wielding boy that resembled him; for a few moments, he had actually seemed interested in what she had to say. Had she unintentionally described their missing brother?

"Hey… Don't you guys have a younger brother too?"

That definitely struck a chord in Loz, at least, whose head had immediately shot up, although this time Yazoo had little to no reaction at all.

"We did." Kallie only had to note the past tense in Yazoo's answer to suddenly construe what had happened to him. "He's dead now. Brother killed him."

Her needle had poked halfway through the leather when she had frozen in place, staring down at the jacket, wondering how she could shocked at all to hear that. If anything, she ought to be rejoicing because one of the creeps that had terrified her cousin had kicked the bucket, and be even more grateful towards the spiky-haired warrior called Brother. Instead… was she actually _sympathizing _with them for their loss?

Whatever reason it might be for her compassion, when she glanced up at them again, it was Loz who made her feel even more sorry. Already it was apparent he was easily more childish in spite of his greatly external masculinity, and by no means could he control his emotions as much as his brother could. He had turned away from her so she could only see his profile, and a hand had gone up to cover his eyes. After they had been reunited, Kallie recalled, Yazoo had teased Loz about crying again, so… was that what Loz was trying to hide?

What a surprise—one of them was capable of showing some kind of empathetic emotion after all. Yazoo's face was as indifferent as ever, and the same went for his voice. If he was also mourning over his brother's death, then he was certainly expert at being able to suppress even something like that.

That was just what baffled Kallie: could anyone be so cold-hearted that they couldn't indicate… _anything_ at the loss of a family member? Even Kallie, who hated to shed tears in fear of appearing weak, had never wept harder after Uncle Neil's passing—he had been the closest thing she had ever had to a father, and the only parent May had had left. It had been a living nightmare when he had contracted Geostigma, a painful reality when he had gone, and now… the same could become of May.

A familiar wave of despair suddenly crashed over Kallie, and she instantly dropped her head back down, shutting her eyes hard in order to fight back an oncoming onslaught of tears. Busying herself with the sewing again, she tried to think of some other topic so she wouldn't have to think about succumbing to grief in front of them…

"Sorry to hear about that." She attempted to sound more than half-hearted about offering her condolences. "What… was his name?"

Loz didn't seem to be in a fit state to answer, so Yazoo did for him.

"Kadaj."

It took a great deal of self-control on Kallie's part not to reveal just how much that name shocked her, attempting to keep her face neutral. _Kadaj?_ But, that had been the third name from that dream!

"That name has significance to you, does it not?" So, it seemed some sort of reaction had slipped through, and Yazoo had been quick to take notice of it.

"Not exactly," Kallie explained hastily. "I just… remembered that my cousin told me about him."

"How'd she know anything about Kadaj?" asked Loz, who seemed to have gotten a hold of himself, yet nonetheless had been wiping his eyes with one hand.

"She was one of the kids you kidnapped, that's how." Kallie's tone of voice had already darkened at saying that, but her expression was quick to follow as she looked pointedly at the two of them. "What _did_ you guys do to her? How did she get into that trance? Why did she have eyes exactly like yours?"

Those questions, however, seemed to have cut the conversation short for the time being, and evidently they still didn't feel obliged enough to give those sort of answers. It was nothing short of what she had expected. When several seconds passed without either of them responding, Kallie sighed audibly, reverting her attention to the jacket for good, wondering just how she found it in her to do these favors.

_I certainly wouldn't be doing this otherwise for a couple of cold-hearted, selfish bastards like them_, she thought angrily. _They obviously don't give a damn about __**any**__ of the wrong they've done._ Again, she was reminded of just why she hated them in the first place, and yet she was supposed to _trust _them?

Even if Kadaj was really dead, and therefore probably of little help here, there was still the irrefutable fact that his name had been the first one mentioned in the dream. As important as it was becoming, that dream really was causing all sorts of problems for her, wasn't it? There was nothing she could really do about it at this point, she knew, and although she had resigned herself to this alliance, it was still with disbelief that she accepted the possibility these two men could help rescue May.

To have them be first May's kidnappers, and then perhaps her saviors… How ironic this was all amounting to be.

* * *

For nearly the next hour that passed in silence, the girl had slaved away at Loz's jacket, tackling it with just as much diligence as she had with Yazoo's jacket—something to be remarked upon, given she had more reasoning to despise them. Eventually, though, the work had apparently been growing more tedious for her, as she seemed to finally be tiring, her head drooping before it would abruptly pop back up. When that had happened for the fourth time, she used that as an excuse to stop.

"There. Did the best I could," she mumbled, tossing the jacket at Loz, who caught it in one hand. "Gonna get to bed now. 'Night."

After she had collected her sewing equipment, turned off the kitchen light, and disappeared into the room she was sharing with her sister, Loz began to don his jacket again, and Yazoo glanced over out of mild interest to see how good of a job she had done in repairing it. The handiwork she had done would suffice, even though Loz wasn't one to really care about those sort of things.

"Was it a good idea to tell her all that stuff about us?" asked Loz after he had zipped up the jacket to how he usually wore it, settling back against the couch. "She did ask a lot of questions…"

"Because then she won't keep pestering us about them."

That was the only reason why Yazoo would ever answer any of her questioning, just so he would get the girl to hold her tongue. It was like a force of habit anyway, he supposed, to never fully trust any individual other than his brothers, and to only give the incomplete truth. Yet, Mother herself had said that the sisters would not betray them, and wasn't her word absolute? Indisputable?

It definitely had been an odd coincidence—first Mother telling them that the sisters could aid in their mission, then Aurei later revealing the fact that both she and her sister carried a materia within their very bodies. Even now, the idea seemed to be nothing but preposterous: the only reason he and Loz could insert materia into their very flesh was because they were made of spirit matter rather than organic material. Therefore, the ordinary human wasn't capable of equipping materia in such a manner.

That thought, however, had just led him to wonder one thing: Did that mean these women were something other than human too?

Whenever the girl had had her attention completely focused on her needlework, Yazoo had taken the opportunity to scrutinize her more closely, to try and see just what he had possibly overlooked. Once again, just like when he had studied her the other night as she had been repairing his jacket, there was little of noteworthy interest about her, save for her orange hair.

_To think that she really was the spell caster after all…_ As ridiculous as the notion had seemed at the time, Yazoo had ultimately been correct in believing there could have been no one else to conjure that Fire spell. The unusual display still hadn't impressed him, though, as that fire had only been enough to destroy the Whole Eater.

Nonetheless, as feeble as her magic (and skills in general) seemed at the moment, Aurei had promised that her prowess would indeed develop soon enough, and at a much faster rate than they might have assumed. Had she meant that the orange-haired girl could someday become as powerful as her older sister was? Would she prove her worth to them after all, and that she wouldn't really be such a burden? Yazoo was curious to find out.

Then, much to Loz's startled astonishment, Yazoo suddenly burst out in quiet laughter. His shoulders shook slightly, and his lips became twisted with a faint grin, laughing at himself more than anything else. How ironic this was, admitting that this girl had begun to _intrigue_ him when he had been convinced there was absolutely nothing significant about her!

It was only her supposed unusual powers that he was interested in, of course, but Mother's own recommendation was another reason behind this new curiosity, and he actually wanted to keep tabs on her himself. While the thought would have never crossed his mind before, could this girl somehow impress him after all? Would she actually be able to earn some kind of respect from him, reserved though it would be?

This journey just might turn out to be more interesting than he had originally reckoned it would be.

* * *

At last, the time for their departure had come.

Setting off on their journey, however, didn't really have much of a good start: not only had Kallie gotten only a couple of hours of sleep, she received a bit of a rude awakening when something icy cold had been touched to the nape of her neck, causing her to sit bolt upright with a cry. As it turned out, Aurei had been attempting several times to shake her awake, but when that had proven to be in vain, she had actually used a small concentration of her ice magic on her fingertips, and putting that to the tip of Kallie's spine had obviously proven to be quite effective.

"Geez, I thought you said that magic would be harmful to me!" grumbled Kallie indignantly, rubbing the spot that was still a bit cold and actually stinging a little.

"It's barely enough to be even remotely detrimental, so stop your whining." Already fully dressed and geared up for the trip, Aurei was heading for the door. "We're leaving in fifteen minutes, so get ready quickly."

Groaning and yawning, Kallie stretched out, rubbing her bleary eyes with one hand. Already, she felt the consequences of having gotten such little sleep, and she had to wonder if she would ever get a substantial amount of rest again. Well, if she wanted to stay on people's good sides for the journey, she might as well heed at least Aurei's command and start getting ready right away, so she wouldn't be the reason for their delay.

Hence, never had Kallie rushed so quickly to prepare herself for the day, not even in comparison to yesterday when she had hastened to leave after Yazoo's abrupt departure. In a couple of minutes, she threw on her clothes and braided her hair, then proceeded to check the rest of the room to make sure she had all her stuff. Finding that everything was in order, she quickly donned her boots, picked up her bag, and marched out of the bedroom.

The only person who was still in the cottage, she discovered, was her father in the kitchen, busily preparing some food that was obviously for their trip. Before he could take notice of her, Kallie hurriedly ducked into the bathroom to do her business in there and then was quick to dart outdoors, especially since she probably had only five minutes now.

Although it was quite dark this early in the morning, Kallie could still see that the others—Aurei, Loz, and Yazoo—were indeed out here, situated around the truck. Loz was already seated in the back, his head tilted back slightly to watch Aurei and Yazoo conversing quietly near the rear of the truck; from the snippets of sentences Kallie was able to hear, it sounded as though they were deciding the route ahead.

Heading towards the vehicle, she saw Aurei give a nod and Yazoo striding off towards the driver's side of the truck, an indication of who had been chosen as the driver. While Kallie knew that left her in the back with Loz this time, she was at least glad that meant she wouldn't have to be anywhere near Yazoo, and thus she was actually able to manage a grin when she reached Aurei.

"I'm here, and ready to save May!" Kallie quipped, feeling a slight adrenaline coming on at the prospect of finally heading out on this rescue mission. That, and she was a bit giddy from the lack of sleep.

"Glad to see some enthusiasm." Aurei then glanced at something over Kallie's shoulder. "But before we go, I believe Father wants to talk to you."

Feeling some of her enthusiasm ebbing away with the sinking of her stomach, Kallie grudgingly turned to see her father heading down the hill towards her and Aurei, two differently sized bags held in either hand.

"Here you are, Aurei—food for the journey," he said, smiling when he stopped before them and handed Aurei the larger bag. "And Kallie… I have a present to give you before you go."

Figuring giving Aurei the bag of food was all he had come out here for, Kallie had just been about to climb into the back when he had addressed her, and she turned back to accept the smaller bag he held out to her. Opening the bag, she found that it contained a small chest inside; unfastening the latch and lifting the lid, to her amazement she found seven different materia nestled inside.

"Those materia were mine for quite some time," her father told her as she picked up a red-colored one which she knew to be a summon materia, finding herself strangely drawn to it. "Most of them haven't been mastered yet, save for the Ifrit you're holding, and the Time materia. I trust they'll come in handy for you."

"…Thanks, Dad."

Managing a wan smile at him in appreciation as she placed the Ifrit materia back in the box, Kallie did feel grateful that he was providing her with such a gift, and was elated that, for the first time, she actually had some materia to call her own (not counting the materia inside of her, of course).

"You're welcome, it will be the least I can do from here."

It was then, while they held their rarely occurring eye contact, that Kallie spied her father take a step towards her, and his arms lift ever so slightly. Suddenly realizing he intended to embrace her, Kallie stepped backwards, tearing her gaze away and clambering into the back of the truck. Maybe her father wasn't as bad a man as she had always pictured him to be, but she couldn't bring herself to be just that close to him yet. In the meantime, although seemingly dismayed by Kallie's rejection of his affection, he had turned towards his other daughter and gave her a hug.

"Be safe, Aurei. I have no doubts you will return," he whispered, then gave a weak laugh. "Don't worry about me—remember there are friends of mine coming to stay with me."

"I know," Aurei responded quietly, rubbing her father's back in the first kind of affectionate gesture Kallie had seen her make, and she could also discern more than ever the anxiety that creased her face. "But I _will_ make sure we won't be gone for long."

Breaking away slightly, he patted her shoulder with assurance. "Goodbye, Aurei." Looking up at Kallie, who was now seated opposite from Loz, he nodded with another smile. "And goodbye, Kallie… I am truly thankful that I could see you at last."

"Yeah…" said Kallie, somewhat automatically. "Bye, Dad."

At that moment, a rumbling emanated from the truck as the engine was started and the headlights switched on, clearly indicating that Yazoo's patience was wearing thin—it was time they cut their farewell short. Subsequently ending their embrace, father and daughter gazed longingly upon each other for what could be the last time in a very long while, and Kallie was strongly reminded of her last exchange with Mrs. Eliot yesterday… Saying goodbye to yet another person who had been such a powerful figure in her life was one of the hardest things Kallie had known, and it must be equally so for Aurei—it was evident their father had been her everything all this time.

_But he couldn't be mine too…_

"Let's go," Kallie heard Yazoo call out, and she looked up to see him leaning out the driver's window, clearly annoyed that this farewell was taking so long.

Reluctantly, they finally parted: never glancing back, Aurei strode over to the passenger's side of the cab, bearing a stoically hardened expression that struck a strange sense of awe and pity into Kallie. Their father, however, couldn't have indicated any further just how much it pained and aggrieved him to let go of his beloved daughter like this, unwillingly taking a few steps backward at a time. His gaze never left his daughters, switching back and forth between them, especially lingering on Kallie—they had been apart for more nearly sixteen years, and yet had been reunited for less than a day.

_Maybe we'll never know each other more than that…_ She couldn't see herself returning to this place. Maybe Aurei was leaving everything behind here, but to Kallie… it was nothing.


	12. The Messenger

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 12**

_The Messenger_

"How much longer do you think it'll be before Cid gets here?"

Sitting back on Fenrir while Cloud was turning the engine off, Tifa looked up to the clouding sky. "Shouldn't be much longer. It's only been a couple of hours since I got in touch with him."

At least, that was what Tifa was hoping, since everything had been going as she wished it would so far: closing down 7th Heaven despite the chagrin of her customers, getting the children taken into the care of her neighbor, and then hearing back from their fellow comrades in AVALANCHE, who were all too eager to reunite once again to pursue the remnants. That had all gone according to plan, and now that they were in the designated meeting area outside of Edge, all that needed to happen was for Cid to arrive.

Calm though he appeared to be, Tifa could still see that Cloud was anxious to begin the pursuit as soon as possible; he was scanning the skies all around, a bit more impatiently than usual. In spite of his impatience, however, she had to wonder why he didn't seem to be in enough of a rush that he simply wasn't taking off now, without waiting for the rest of the team. Was that really because he wanted to finish this fight with all his teammates at his side? Was he that confident this would be over before they knew it?

If so, then the knowledge that Cloud possessed such confidence and determination—in contrast to his wavering, irresolute stance over a week ago—made Tifa's heart glow, and she only hoped that the remnants hadn't gained some kind of newfound power that was the reason behind their survival. While she did not know the fine details of the encounter, it worried her that the remnants seemed to have defeated Cloud so easily, wounded though they seemed to have been…

_And there's that girl…_ As much as Cloud had managed to assuage her fears, it concerned Tifa more than anything that the remnants could possibly have outside assistance. Did that girl possess something they believed would be useful, or… were they just desperate now?

At feeling Tifa's eyes upon him, Cloud finally turned his gaze from the sky to see her staring somewhat absentmindedly at the arm which Yazoo had shot, and he knew she must still be troubled by his near brush with death.

"Tifa, there's no need to make such a fuss over me." She looked up at him, and it was with rather wan amusement that he smiled at her. "I've suffered two to three months of Geostigma, been stabbed by Sephiroth through just about every part of my body, got shot through the heart, and was nearly obliterated by an explosion. Believe me, a few twinges of pain in my arm are nothing."

Breaking out into laughter, Tifa suddenly planted herself against him in a hug, her head coming to a rest on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Cloud. You know I can't help but be a worrywart sometimes."

"Sometimes?" His smile widened teasingly. "You've been worrying too much, Tifa. In fact, it's been a while since I've heard you laugh."

Wasn't that ironic, him telling _her_ that she hadn't laughed in a while, when he had been so despondent for so long? The remark just made Tifa laugh again, holding him a bit closer.

"You're not the only one who's been feeling lighter, Cloud," she told him, lightly rubbing his previously injured arm, which still bore the pink ribbon in Aerith's memory. "Ever since you came back, healed of Geostigma, you just seemed… so _happy_, and that's made me happy too."

"I'm glad that you are, Tifa." Just before he turned away to look at the sky again, she spotted the determination returning to his face. "And I'm gonna make sure it'll stay that way."

"Cloud…"

There was nothing but adoration in her voice upon him saying that, for hearing Cloud declare his resolve aloud eased away the last of her worries. A week ago, it had seemed that his decision in life had been to give up and die, but with the events that had transpired, he had now chosen to live and fight. If that very resolve had been what defeated Sephiroth, then there was no way that those remnants could stand up to it and survive either.

_And he said he's going to fight for me…_ Perhaps those hadn't been his exact words, but the obvious implication was there nonetheless.

In appreciation, she held him a little closer, and she saw him glance back over his shoulder at her. It didn't end there, though—lifting her head, Tifa smiled softly, and Cloud twisted around slightly to face her better. This moment, with a possible battle on the horizon, reminded her so much of that night on the hill those two years ago. Now that she was thinking about it, she hadn't felt this close to him since that night either…

But, upon hearing the sound of distant propellers, the seemingly perfect moment was broken, and both felt reluctant in tearing their gaze away from each other to hurriedly scan the sky for its source. They were not searching for long before the definitive form of Cid's beloved new airship, the _Shera,_ came into view beyond Edge, and Tifa's face lit up at the glorious sight of it.

"He made it!" she exclaimed, climbing off of Fenrir to continue watching the _Shera_ fly in closer towards them.

Although Cloud said nothing, he was just as glad to see the airship arrive. When the _Shera_ had come close enough that Cid could probably see them by now, Cloud's cell phone rang.

"Hey Cid," Cloud answered, upon flipping open the mobile. "Glad you could make it."

"_Just_ 'glad'!_"_ barked Cid's voice, loud enough for Tifa to hear too, and she had to fight to restrain her giggling. "You'd better be damned happy outta yer mind that I even considered flyin' all the way out here, puttin' my celebration with Shera on hold just to fight those remnant dogs again!"

"Well, once this is over, you can have all the time you want with Shera," responded Cloud. "All the more reason to get this over with soon, right?"

"You can bet your chocobo ass hair it is!" There was a pause, then an exhale, indicating Cid had taken a drag from a cigarette. "What the hell're we doin', talking over some damn cellulars like this? Just hang tight, son, 'cuz I'm bringin' my baby right over to you! Brace yourselves for the dust!"

Cloud gave a short laugh. "See you, Cid."

In the short time it took Cloud to flip the phone shut and store it away, the _Shera_ flew in towards them, indeed kicking up a bit of a dust storm as Cid brought the airship to the ground. Thankfully, they hadn't needed to shield their eyes for long before Cid landed the _Shera_ about fifty feet away from them. As the deafening whirring of the propellers died down, the ramp was lowered, though it hadn't even fully opened when something small, black, and white came out at a bouncing gait.

"Will you look at who else came." Tifa rushed to greet the robotic cat that stopped at the bottom of the ramp, waving its gloved paw. "Should have known Reeve would want to get involved in this too."

"Aye, o' course!" chirped Cait Sith in its high-pitched accent, giving a short bow. "Sephiroth's remnants still scampering about, along with some odd lass? I wouldn't want to miss it for the world!"

"I didn't doubt that he would," remarked Cloud as he strode up to Tifa's side. "Considering that the world still might be at stake."

"Jus' _might_ still be at stake, huh?" boomed another familiar voice, and the huge form of Barret came striding towards them from the ship's interior. "If the world ain't in that much danger, I'd still be back in Corel, finishin' plans to finally drill that oil field I found!"

"Now, you wouldn't just leave us hanging like that, would you, Barret?" pouted Tifa, folding her arms. "I'm sure Marlene wouldn't be happy to hear that."

"Augh, now don't be bringin' Marlene into this!" he grunted, reaching the bottom of the ramp and fixating them with a scowl. "She ain't gonna be dragged into this again, is she? Better've found someplace safe for her!"

"Don't worry, she and Denzel are both fine. We left them with a trusted neighbor," Cloud reassured him, and Barret gave a grunt of approval. Seeing Cid now coming into sight, smoking cigarette in hand, he asked, "Is this everyone you could round up?"

"Hey, I couldn't be goin' and pickin' up everybody if you wanted me here as quick as possible!" Cid snapped, taking another smoke. "With Yuffie bein' all the way out in Wutai, she said she'd get here some way or another. Fine by me, cuz I don't want her gettin' sick all over my precious _Shera_ again."

"I tried getting in touch with Red XIII," Cait Sith spoke up, sighing and shaking its head. "But, our favorite red-furred laddie's disappeared somewhere in Cosmo Canyon, and nobody's sure where he went. Convenient, aye?"

"That's worrying," Tifa murmured concernedly, not really meaning for anyone else to hear except for Cloud, but decided not to ponder on it for now. "What about Vincent, then? Has he heard?"

"Vincent?" Cid suddenly guffawed. "Ya wouldn't believe it, but he of all people—"

"Decided to come along."

At the sound of that last familiar voice, deep and raspy in its intonation, everybody looked just in time to see the dark, brooding man himself sweep into sight with a flourish of his tattered crimson cloak, pausing at the top of the ramp near Cid.

"Good to see you again so soon, Vincent," said Tifa, and Cloud nodded at him, smirking again slightly.

"Followed up on Marlene's advice to finally get a cell phone, did you?"

"I did." Lowering his head slightly, Vincent's face was concealed more behind the collar of his cloak. "This revelation hasn't surprised me; I could sense Sephiroth would not allow himself to be completely returned to the Lifestream this easily."

That was Vincent, ever the optimist—but no one would allow themselves to be so easily swayed by his cynical, albeit sensible take on the situation, especially not Cloud.

"Naturally," concurred Cloud. "But that doesn't mean we're never going to defeat him or his remnants."

There was nothing more motivating to hear from Cloud than a dogged assertion like that, and a murmur of avid agreement went around the circle of friends (except for Vincent, of course, yet he still nodded). Folding his huge, muscular arms, however, Barret merely shook his head, looking at Cloud with something like disbelief.

"Will ya look at Spiky here?" he muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Only last week he was acting like he was in the biggest hell hole that ever existed, didn't wanna talk to anybody or anythin'! Now look at 'im—telling' us that we're gonna beat the shit outta Sephiroth 'gain, bein' the leader I remember!"

"Tis quite a change, laddie," nodded Cait Sith, to which Cloud merely smiled.

"It _was_ a hell hole, I'll say that much," he explained, somewhat solemnly. "But, a week ago, on that day… I found my way out of it. Things are different now—better, and I'm not about to lose that. Sephiroth won't take that away from me ever again." As Tifa beamed beside him, his face was clenched back into that determined glare. "So, let's get a move on!"

"Ya said it, Cloud!" Grinning, Cid chucked his cigarette down onto the ramp and stamped it out. "Jus' tell me where I oughta fly this bird, and I'll fly her!"

"I'm going to search the ground with Tifa on Fenrir." Looking back at Tifa, she nodded her assent. "Since you'll be able to cover more ground with the _Shera_, you keep a lookout from the air, and phone me if you see anything."

"Yeah, but where the hell're they headed?" asked Barret.

"The Forgotten City would be a likely place," Vincent suggested. "In case you do not recall, that was their base for all their… operations. Otherwise, I believe the Northern Crater would be another possible destination."

"Then that's where we'll go." Yet, it was with concern that Tifa glanced over at Cloud, for she knew the Forgotten City was the one place he wanted to avoid. They all wanted to, with what had occurred there. "…Right?"

To her immense relief and delight, however, Cloud gave her a reassuring look that told her it would be okay. "Good idea, Vincent. All right, let's get moving! Good luck, everybody."

But, just as Tifa and Cloud had begun to head back over to Fenrir, and the others were proceeding back up the ramp into the _Shera_, Tifa recalled something—something that Cloud often used to say, and which she hadn't heard in the longest time.

"Hey Cloud, did you forget something that you always used to say, before we'd head off on a mission?"

At Tifa's question, everyone curiously paused where they were, especially Cloud, who perhaps bore the most puzzled expression of them all, although it did seem like he was struggling to remember what that saying had been. Once Tifa leaned in and whispered something into his ear, though, recognition came across his face; once again, he turned to face his comrades, who were all ears for what he was about to say.

"Everyone, let's mosey."

* * *

About an hour had passed since they had started on their journey, if Loz was correctly judging the amount of morning light. The mist hanging low over the plains was even more apparent, and the dew was glistening on the grass. In such a short amount of time, however, Loz was already starting to feel cramped up, and for about the fifth time he was stretching out a crick in his neck. It was amazing to see that the girl, slumped over her bag opposite him, apparently out cold, could be sleeping so soundly on such an uncomfortable ride.

_She really must be tired_.

Even when they had gone over bumps—which were quite frequent—that would jostle even him around a little, the girl snoozed on as if she were still back in Aurei's bedroom, and he was unaware he was seeing his first evidence of just how heavy a sleeper she was.

Bored as he was being stuck in the back of this vehicle, he had made it a bit of a game watching her: waiting for the truck to go over the next bump, and then seeing if she would have any reaction to it. Occasionally she would, mumbling something incoherent before falling still again, although most of the time, she would continue to simply lie there like a log, and eventually the lack of amusement caused him to lose interest.

It was a mere minute later, though, when he had turned away to keep an eye on the scenery passing by, that the truck went over a particularly hard bump, and the girl was smacked against the side's interior with quite a loud thud. If anything could possibly rouse her, that certainly did: she groaned as she lifted her head up, putting a hand to it. After a sleepy glare at him, she simply put her head back down onto her bag and closed her eyes again.

Watching her still when she had seemingly fallen back asleep, something occurred to him that he had been wondering about ever since this girl had revealed she would be traveling with them yesterday; he wanted to know exactly why Yazoo hated this girl so much. There was a chance this girl would reveal more about it—she seemed honest enough, from what he could tell. Not even considerate of the fact that she was trying to catch up on her sleep, Loz scooted a little closer to her and prodded her in the arm.

"Stop it…" she muttered, and Loz instantly drew his hand back. "Be there… couple minutes…"

When she continued to lie there for the next minute, however, he suddenly realized that she was indeed still asleep. For whatever reason, it was highly amusing to him that she actually had been speaking in her sleep; he started to giggle, wondering if she would do it again. Perhaps he was just desperate for something to entertain him, but when he poked her again, he was pleased when she had a similar response.

"Told you… May…" she again murmured, turning her head the other way. "I'll get up… soon… few minutes… please…"

Now grinning broadly, chuckling, Loz prodded her a few times more, although she gave little reaction this time, simply grunting once. Still wanting to know what else she might say, though, he gave another prod in the arm, slightly harder than the others had been. Softly, the girl groaned, and just when Loz thought he might have to shake her shoulder now, she suddenly lifted her head with a jolt.

"May, you're back!"

After that exclamation, however, it sluggishly seemed to dawn on her that this May—her cousin, perhaps—was nowhere around, and she wasn't where she thought she had been. Several seconds went by where the girl merely stared at her surroundings, blinking blearily, trying to take them in, and then understood where she was.

"Ugh, thought May was really back…" Groaning, she rubbed her eyes, then looked over at Loz, probably comprehending now what had really been happening. "Was that… _you_ poking me?"

"Er, yeah." What had he wanted to ask her again?

"That's not very polite, you know, waking up somebody like that when they're actually trying to sleep," she said admonishingly, and Loz blinked. Yawning, she propped herself up on her elbows. "If you wanted to say something, it'd better be important, or I'm going back to sleep."

Thankfully, he remembered then. "I just wanna know what went on between you and Yazoo, that's all."

"Of all things you had to ask about…" Again, she groaned, rubbing her eyes. Holding her hand there momentarily, she dropped it down and pushed herself upright, folding her legs beneath her. "Well, if you wanna know, better start from the beginning, and that includes you too…"

_Includes me too?_ Loz wondered, pushing himself back to his previous spot now that the girl was conscious. As far as he was aware, he hadn't known about her at all prior to yesterday…

"First time I ever saw you guys," she began, a little groggily, "was at the base of the Meteor monument, when you set all those monsters loose—"

"The Shadow Creepers, y'mean?"

She blinked. "The what?"

"That's what we call them."

"Oh." Momentarily, she seemed to process the name, then went on. "So yeah, you set loose those… _'Shadow Creepers'_, two of which nearly killed me when I was trying to rescue my zombie-fied cousin—she was one of the kids you kidnapped, in case you forgot—and then…"

And then the girl went on to explain the rest of what had happened that day—at least, whatever had happened pertaining to the silver-haired brothers, including being knocked out by the explosion that had resulted from Bahamut SIN's Mega Flare, and the very first incident where her fire powers had revealed themselves. The more she went on with her narration, the more awake she seemed to grow, especially since she seemed to be emphasizing just how much she hated them because of what they had done.

"Next morning, after all that madness, everything was a-okay. May was back and healed of Geostigma, and I… felt like my life had meaning again." Anger flashed across her face, but only just briefly. "Turns out, she had been at that church in Sector 5 of Midgar earlier with her friends and a lot of people from Edge. She left her moogle doll there by accident, so we went to fetch it."

She described how the journey to the church had been relatively uneventful, making certain to inform him that May had told her everything Kadaj had done and said, and just how much it had traumatized her cousin. It was becoming more and more clear exactly where her prejudice against them originated from, although he couldn't see yet what reason Yazoo had been given to hate her so much…

"We were able to find Mog at the church, thankfully, so we left, expecting the journey back would be just as uneventful as before… But then, those Whole Eaters showed up, and we had to run for it. I managed to get a pipe and fight them off while May escaped. It was… after I killed one that I heard her scream.

"It _horrified_ me. I thought some other monster had gotten her. I was exhausted as hell, but I took off down the road after as fast as I could, and you wouldn't know how happy I was to see that she was alive. But, she was looking absolutely terrified. Turns out, she'd screamed because Yazoo was there, and y'know, she'd hoped he was gone for good too."

"So…" Loz's heart had plummeted like a stone upon realizing something had been confirmed for him. "Yazoo's really been awake for a week?"

Nodding, the girl didn't seem to care for Loz's reaction. "That's right. Although, he was barely conscious when I saw him, and in really bad condition too. I mean, I was shocked enough that he was still around at all, but I'm amazed he actually recovered from that." She cleared her throat. "Anyway…"

Proceeding with her story, Loz learned that the Whole Eaters she had been fighting previously had followed her down the road, and she continued the battle with them, managing to slay two more of them. Then, the last one had wounded her, made an attempt on her cousin's life, and in her desperation to stop it, she had unwittingly cast another Fire spell, effectively destroying it. Just when she had thought the battle over, however, she had remembered Yazoo was still there.

"Like I said before, you and him both disappeared after what you did in Edge, so I thought you were both gone for good. Now, you both pissed me off enough that I wanted to make you pay for what you did to May, and I thought I'd never get my chance. Amazingly enough, though, there was Yazoo right before me, so…" The girl suddenly smirked. "I ended up getting my vengeance after all."

"What'd you do to him?"

"Glad you asked." Her smirk broadened. "I hit him over the head with the pipe. Knocked him out cold."

And Loz burst out laughing, quickly putting a fist to his mouth in order to muffle the laughter, although it probably was still loud enough that it caught his brother's attention. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he spotted Yazoo glancing back through the dingy window, but even if he was wondering just what he was guffawing about, it wasn't enough to quell his laughter.

Clearly pleased that he also took glee in how Yazoo had been shamed, the girl began to snicker along with him, and this time it was Aurei who glanced back at them. Neither of the occupants within the cab did anything about it, though; thus, the two occupants in the back continued to chortle together, Loz simply delighting in this revelation. For once, he really did have something to tease his brother about—he wasn't going to live this one down, that was for sure!

"My own brother, I can't believe it," he snorted, now that he had gotten a grip on himself. "Knocked out by a pipe, and by a girl as weak as you are too!"

Of course, that promptly put an end to her laughter, for in the next instant the heel of her boot was brought down hard onto his foot. Expectedly, her retaliation barely made him flinch, and he was still chuckling until he saw the girl's expression: all traces of amusement gone, she was glaring at him now, crossing her arms in indignation.

"You just wait!" she declared. "Soon enough, I'll get this materia mastered, and then you won't be calling me weak anymore!"

With an additional huff, the girl looked away, and Loz realized then that he had offended her greatly. That was the truth, though, right? It was another reason why Yazoo disliked her, he knew, as he had frequently referred to her as being 'useless'. But, with the revelations that had come forth yesterday—what both Aurei and Mother had said, perhaps she was right: maybe she _would_ turn out to be helpful after all…

There was a lull between them for a little while, the girl seemingly offended enough that she refused to finish her narration, although it probably would have been redundant anyways. Vague though he had been, Yazoo had informed him of exactly how the girl had ended up with them, and while that was probably what the rest of the story entailed, Loz had only wanted to know what had happened to cause the girl and his brother to despise each other so much.

Come to think of it… Loz really didn't have much reason to dislike her himself. He only did because Yazoo did, and as much of a meanie as his brother was, he always held him to have the better judgment. Still, the girl hadn't done anything bad to him yet: she _had_ repaired his jacket, as well as telling him something that had been a blow to his brother's pride. Maybe she wasn't so unlikable after all…

"You were really unconscious for a week, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Really? Wow." Her eyes were still watching the road behind them. "You were out in the open that entire time, in Midgar's ruins?"

"Yeah…"

The girl gave a low whistle. "Double wow. How could you still be in one piece after all that?"

"Whaddya mean…?"

"You know…" Looking back at him, she seemed a little disbelieving that he hadn't seemed to have caught on. "It's amazing that you weren't gobbled up by Whole Eaters or some other monster out there. They would've made quick work of you if they ever found you, and you wouldn't have been able to do a thing about it."

Loz could only shrug his shoulders at that.

Nonetheless, when the girl had turned her attention away again, Loz could not help but reflect more on this realization that had suddenly come to him. Out of his frantic desire to find Yazoo, before he had known that Yazoo was still alive, the thought hadn't even occurred to him as to how he had been able to survive a week—unconscious—out in the open. While he certainly hadn't had any Luck Sources whatsoever, he doubted those would have helped anyway. Exactly _how_ had he survived?

Yet, there was already a ready answer.

_Mother…_ he realized, with growing elation. _Mother, you __**must**__ have protected me!_

The thought was so strong in his head that Loz could almost believe that she would speak to him again, assuring him that yes, she_ had_ kept him safe during his weeklong coma. Though her voice did not come to him, that did not rid him of the joy he felt, and no longer did he even feel ashamed about the incident.

She hadn't betrayed them… She really hadn't left him to die… She really still wanted him to continue with their mission! She still wanted him to _live!_

* * *

After she had shared her narration with Loz, however, it soon became apparent to Kallie that rest was pretty much futile at this point, especially with all those events that she had been forced to recall swimming through her head again. Tried as she might now, drowsy though she felt, she simply couldn't fall back asleep; that was probably a sign to give up on it for the moment.

_It's just as well, right? _Having a feeling that this wouldn't be the first time she would be deprived of sleep, she figured she should just start to resign herself to that possibility—maybe then she might actually get used to it. Wondering nonetheless just how much sleep her body would need to catch up on, she once again pushed herself upright, assuming the same seated position that she had been in when she had been speaking to Loz.

Turning her head slightly, she watched the green landscape, with its occasional random uprisings of land, whiz by, trying to enjoy the view while she was here. At least one nice thing about this journey would be all the sightseeing she would get to do, something she had only been able to do twice in her life so far, and it was such a rare opportunity for most people to see the world as she had been able to.

The first had been when the Bradfords had gone to the Gold Saucer for a few days—then, May had been only a few years old, Kallie fourteen. The second had been, in fact, a year before Meteorfall, when her best friend, Meryl, who belonged to a family of somewhat wealthy status, had taken her along on a weeklong trip to Costa del Sol. Despite the fact she hadn't really visited elsewhere, Kallie had decided that was probably her favorite place in the world. Beautiful waters, broad beaches, plenty of sunshine… no wonder it was such a popular vacation spot.

Too bad her journey might not allow a stop there, but at least their destination was Junon, where Meryl actually happened to be living now, and that was perhaps the only silver lining Kallie could see right now. Although it was clear as mud exactly how Aurei had come to decide on Junon, there was still the elating possibility of finally, after two years, getting to see Meryl again.

There was so much to catch up on with her, all these things they could talk about that couldn't be communicated in a letter or a phone call alone. At the very least, Kallie wished she had brought Meryl's letter with her—having come back to an empty apartment and finding Yazoo gone had made her completely forget that she had received the letter at all. Reading it would have cheered her right back up, and she wanted to have it anyways so she could write a proper response.

_A proper response…?_ Kallie was quick to check herself. _Yeah right. _How the hell was she ever going to write about everything that had happened to her over the past week and expect it to fit in one letter?

As she began to thoroughly ponder that, how to do the impossible and summarize what had occurred thus far since her last letter, Kallie gradually grew aware of some far away sound. Initially, it was hard to discern over the rumbling of the truck, but soon it became apparent it was a sort of whirring, thudding noise. Loz had heard it too, for he began glancing about curiously, looking for its source, although neither had to wonder about it for long before it suddenly struck Kallie what it was.

"Kallie, Loz!"

Both looked over to see Aurei leaning out her window, twisted around to face them, holding down part of her hair to prevent it being blown about in the slipstream. Soft though Aurei's voice normally was, she was only shouting now in order to be heard over the vehicle.

"A helicopter's coming!" she warned them, just as Kallie was able to spot it off in the distance. "Don't let it spot Loz! It may not be close, but the people inside still might be able to see us!"

Through the dirtied window, though, Kallie saw Yazoo turning his head to say something to Aurei—muffled though his words were, it sounded along the lines of, "How do you expect him to hide back there?"

For a few moments, Aurei pondered this, then called back, "Duck down, Loz! And Kallie, if it comes any closer, give Loz your jacket to hide his hair!"

"W-what?" _What_ did Aurei just ask her to do?

"You heard me!" There wasn't a chance for further dispute, as the helicopter indeed was growing nearer, and Aurei took notice of that. "Kallie, now!"

"Fine!" snapped Kallie, knowing her sister wasn't kidding. But, in a lower voice to Loz she added, "Just don't do anything to it, 'kay?"

Though it was probable he hadn't even heard her, Kallie slipped off her jacket nonetheless and handed it over to him, which he grabbed immediately. With the helicopter closing in on them, threatening to fly directly overhead, Loz dropped down to the floor of the truck at once, pulling Kalllie's jacket over his head just as Aurei—who had retreated back into the truck—had suggested.

It was a silly sight, seeing Loz flattening himself to the truck's floor as much as he could, her jacket concealing most of his head, although still not entirely flattening that hairdo of his. Instinctively, she too ducked down, in case the chopper's occupants happened to be somebody that might be searching for the silver-haired men, and she certainly didn't want other people to be after her too. Thankfully, while the chopper was several hundred feet up in the air, it did not pass directly overhead like Kallie had thought it would, instead passing by at an angle.

Once the helicopter began to disappear into the distant horizon and the whirring of the helicopter's blades was fading away, both Kallie and Loz almost simultaneously picked themselves up, the latter removing the jacket from his head as he did so. As Kallie dusted herself off, she jumped a little when he threw it into her lap, and she immediately began brushing the garment off too, plucking off a silver strand with slight disgust.

Donning the jacket again, hoping to get it washed as soon as possible, she looked over at him to find he had drawn himself back into nearly the same position as before, still gazing off where the helicopter had disappeared. Clearing her throat, she stared pointedly at him for several moments, waiting for him to acknowledge her, but he seemingly continued to either ignore her or be completely ignorant of her glare.

"You're _welcome_," she said without subtlety, folding her arms and tapping her finger upon her bicep. He did look at her then, yet appeared to be quite puzzled, and Kallie rolled her eyes. "You're supposed to say _'thanks'_ for me having lent my jacket to you."

"…Thanks?"

This guy admittedly didn't have the worst manners she had ever seen, but, to not even know how to say a simple '_thanks'_? Kallie sighed again, but decided it pointless to pursue the issue—stomping on Loz's foot after his insult had barely fazed him, after all. While that still had her pretty miffed, she really wasn't surprised anymore that they had such bad manners, considering that they most likely weren't human at all. At least he had actually said 'thanks', though.

_Well, whatever. Looks like it's just gonna be another thing I'll have to deal with._

Inside the truck, meanwhile, through the window behind her Aurei had been watching the helicopter fly away until it had gone from sight, and then settled back against her seat.

"Have any idea who that helicopter belonged to, Yazoo?"

Yazoo did, actually—after that helicopter had stolen Mother, pursued them along the unfinished highway to Midgar, and he had managed to destroy it himself, he had been able to recognize it straightaway.

"It was a Shinra helicopter."

"Really?" That seemed to greatly surprise Aurei. "So, they _are_ active again… Ever since the President died two years ago, there's barely been any news about Shinra, and most believe that the company's dead for good."

Boy, could Yazoo attest to the opposite, so much so that he wanted to laugh. "Perhaps, but the President is certainly not, as far as I'm aware."

Aurei glanced over at him curiously. "And you know that how?"

This time, he did chuckle a little. "He and his peons have impeded us several times during our mission, and had they not been such an interference, we would have… succeeded long ago."

"A mission, you say?"

Careful though Yazoo had been to conceal his and Loz's intentions before, he was quite certain that would no longer continue to be the case now that he had accepted this alliance, however reluctant he was about it. Especially since Mother herself had urged them to ally with the sisters, it could only imply that there would be no harm in revealing such clandestine information. Not that it meant Yazoo was fully trusting them yet, if he ever would: he was just resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't be able to remain taciturn about their mission for much longer—at least, not entirely.

"Loz and I… are on a mission to find our mother."

"Your… mother?" More than anything else, that probably came as a surprise to her. "She was the reason you attempted to destroy an entire city?"

"Whatever it takes to find her, we _will_ do," he stated. "Though we've never met her, she is… all we have ever known."

"I see…"

There—that was informative enough to satisfy Aurei's curiosity, but vague enough so she wouldn't know the complete details, and he still had been able to state the truth. Mother was the only reason for his existence, the only reason why he was bothering to persevere like this. What other meaning would he be able to find to his life?

"How curious. You and I are in the same boat, then," she spoke up after a little while. "I've never met my mother either, and I have been yearning to as well. I'd like to tell you our story, though you probably wouldn't care to hear it."

"I wouldn't."

"But, we've got a long way ahead of us yet. Surely you don't want _something_ to pass the time?"

To be perfectly honest, Yazoo did admit he was curious about the sisters' past now, and why yesterday seemed to have been the first time they had ever met. Not that he felt a shred of empathy, of course: he simply wanted to uncover an explanation as to how the sisters had come to carry the materia _inside_ of them, and Aurei had hinted it had been there even before birth. Attempting to coerce truths out of others seemed to be the wrong approach, so perhaps he ought to take advantage of Aurei willing to tell it herself.

At any rate, it would be better than hearing it from the orange-haired girl.

"Very well, just don't expect me to commiserate."

* * *

Here he was, already back on this dirt road again, in the early hours of the morning, and boy was he glad to have such a head's start on this day. Confident though he was that little May's cousin would never catch up, he was eager to return to Gongaga as soon as possible, for he was quite tired of being on the road. As much as the idea of travel appealed to him, he wasn't up for any trip as monotonous as this one: driving along almost nonstop on his motorcycle, only stopping to eat the rations he had brought, or to get some sleep, most often out in the middle of the wilderness.

No, he had endured that shit before, and his life had been full of it, more than he cared to remember. Yet, he had been assured that, if he kidnapped this girl and brought her to his boss, that would mean at last achieving what he had longed for all his life. Maybe, at last, that would be the end to it all.

_And if not…_ Damn it, he just couldn't think about that.

Chancing to take his eyes off the road in front of him, if only for a brief moment, he glanced back over his shoulder to check up on the girl, who was once again bound to his back. From this vantage point, he could not tell if she had dozed off, though he wouldn't be surprised if she had.

Last night, after making sure her hunger was satiated, and before he got some rest for himself, he had tied the girl to his motorcycle as a precaution. Even though he had reminded her again that she would be safer with him than out on her own were she to escape, there was no telling what she would do once he let his guard down. Maybe she would have done something, though; as he had leaned back against a nearby rock, on the verge of falling asleep, he thought he had heard her start crying again.

To hear her in such distress did make him feel bad about having to abduct her like this, but he had been given no other option, nor could he think of any other possible way. Besides… he had seen enough children who had suffered through worse circumstances than hers would ever be. If she had the chance to see them too, she most definitely would feel more grateful for her situation.

She ought to, anyway: she had grown up in an actual home and had experienced its comforts. She had been raised in an actual family, with someone to look after her and care for her. None of that had ever applied to his childhood.

Feeling justified about his mission once again, that turned his thoughts back to his next task: delivering a package in person before returning to Gongaga. The only thing that chagrined him was that he had been asked to deliver it personally. Though he had no qualms in confronting people he had never met before, he was worried it might take him a while, especially since he had been warned there was the possibility this particular person might be… difficult.

Well, whatever was in store for him, he was about to find out—there was a sign just ahead by the side of the road, and he slowly braked until he came to a halt next to it in order to read the places listed in large print upon its green surface. He did not have to read for long, however, before he smirked upon seeing an arrow that indicated he was on the correct path to Healin Lodge.

Pulling over to the side of the road and parking his motorcycle there, he untied May from himself, which easily got her attention regardless whether or not she had been asleep. Bleary hazel eyes looked at him—with both curiosity and foreboding—once he had fully unbound her and clambered off the vehicle, clearly wondering what he must be doing with her now. A startled gasp escaped her when he scooped her up in his arms and swiftly darted into the nearby forest, dodging past trees until the road was no longer in sight.

"Just gonna put you here for now," he said softly to her, upon her inquiring, fearful expression as he set her down on the ground against a tree. "I won't be gone long."

Before she could put forth a protest or question, he cast Sleep on her again, and her eyes slid shut as her body grew lax. Though he had tried to make sure the spell wasn't as heavy this time, he wouldn't know until she woke up. Shifting her into a position that would be more comfortable for her, he proceeded to tie her to the tree. Once the bonds were secure enough, he knew his race against time had begun, for he didn't want to leave her there for long. Not that it was one he was bound to lose, though.

No longer carrying the girl in his arms now, he was able to exit the forest in half the time it took him to enter it; within half a minute he had hopped back onto his motorcycle and was revving the engine back up. In fact, maybe it would have been faster to simply run there, but he wanted to be sure he was heading in the right direction—besides, it might appear suspicious if he had seemed to come from nowhere.

In the next minute as he continued along the road, he could not help but glance around at the scenery, small white lodges nestled here and there among the trees. For those infected with Geostigma, it definitely seemed like the ideal place to live out the last of one's days. Although, if he were to come down with anything like a fatal disease, he wouldn't even think of confining himself like this, quiet and peaceful though this place was.

_But, this kinda isolation would be ideal if ya wanted to hide from the rest of the world_, he thought, passing over a bridge. Still, if the person he was about to see had been able to hide here for all this time, how _had_ she known he would be here? Just something else to credit to her strange, incredible powers.

Upon reaching what he had been told was this person's residence, though, he knew that wasn't something to ponder now; he had his task to focus on yet. Parking his motorcycle again, a little distance away from where there were wooden stairs leading up to the white building, he plucked a rectangular package from out of his bag before he stepped off his vehicle and proceeded towards the lodge.

Just as he had rounded the bend in the staircase, however, the door to the lodge swung open, and he halted as a man came sauntering out, whose disheveled appearance made it seem as though he had awoken only a little while ago. His white shirt that might otherwise be a dressy garment was wrinkled, the top button left open (he wouldn't be surprised if this man had slept in them), not to mention he had a mug of what was presumably coffee in one hand. What drew his eye most of all, though, was this man's hair: spiky, tied in a ponytail in the back, and fiery red, a color that stood out like a beacon amid all the dull, neutral colors here.

It did seem as though the fiery-haired man had just gotten up, for he seemed tired enough that he didn't even take notice of the visitor quietly observing him from the stairs. Instead, he merely walked towards a wooden deck that extended out from the side of the cottage, setting the mug down on the railing and reaching inside the jacket of the business suit he wore, which looked disheveled like the rest of his outfit. Once his unknown visitor began to head up the stairs again, however, the man suddenly snapped his head about to see who had just arrived.

"Oh, never mind. Thought you were Elena." Appearing to relax, the man began to fumble around in his jacket again when he stopped for a second time and looked back at him. It was then he noticed his aquamarine eyes and the red markings below them. "Wait, who the hell are you?"

"Jeez, does nobody know how the hell to greet anybody anymore?" he scoffed, reaching the landing in front of the door. _First Kallie, and now this man._ "I'm just somebody who wants to see President Shinra."

"The President…?" From the look on the man's face, for a moment he thought he might have the place wrong, but then he realized this guy was probably wondering what the hell this visitor was doing here. "What the hell do you wanna see him for, yo?"

"Important stuff, that's what." He waved the rectangular package at him. "Supposed to deliver this to him in person. He's around, ain't he?"

"Yeah, he's around." Yawning, the fiery-haired man took out a small bottle (which the visitor amusedly recognized as alcohol) from the inside of his jacket and poured a small amount into the mug. "Just go in. Ya might have to wait, though."

As the man stowed the bottle away and began to drink his spiked coffee, the visitor was just about to head inside when the door suddenly opened for him. Stopping again, he found himself confronting another man in a similar suit, although that was where the similarities ended between the other guy's appearance and his. His suit was quite crisp and clean, for one thing, and his head was entirely bald, his eyebrows and goatee the only signs of any hair. While he wore sunglasses, adding to his austere, indiscernible expression, it was evident he was curious about this visitor, especially with how he glanced sternly over at his partner, who merely shrugged.

"Some guy that wants to see the President," the fiery-haired man explained half-heartedly, taking another sip of coffee, already appearing to be waking up slightly. "Let him in, yo?"

Scrutinizing the visitor again, particularly eying the sword at his hip, the bald man then asked in a deep voice, "What kind of business do you have with him?"

"Pretty important business, that's what." Merely tilting his head at him, he wasn't fazed one bit by that stern gaze. "I don't need an appointment, do I?"

That answer still didn't seem to be enough for the bald man, though. "How would you know that he's here?"

"Beats me. I'm just followin' directions." Laughing suddenly, he raised his hands slightly. "Look, I'm no assassin or nothin'. Just need to talk to the President a bit, give him this package, and I'm outta here."

"He's harmless enough, Rude," the fiery-haired man muttered, a hand in one pocket. "Just let him do what he wants and then make sure he leaves, yo?"

_Harmless enough, eh?_ The statement more than amused him, for he wouldn't exactly be harmless if anybody tried to pull any funny business on him here. At last, though, Rude seemed to relent.

"Fine," he grunted. "Wait in here."

With that, he turned and walked back into the lodge, leaving the door open for the caller who promptly strode in, pleased that access had been this effortless. While he saw, upon entering, that there was quite a comfortable-looking couch nearby, he had no desire to sit, instead leaning back against the wall as he watched Rude disappear though a door into another room.

From within, he could hear the slight strains of conversation, between Rude's deep voice and some other man he did not recognize. They seemed to come to an agreement, for the door soon opened again, and he stepped forward in anticipation as Rude walked back out. Moments later, he was followed by a motorized wheelchair bearing the very person he had come to see: a blond-haired man, clad in loose, yet rich-looking clothing, with bandages around his neck and over one eye. At seeing what the once wealthiest man in the world (and one whom he had so despised) had been reduced to, the caller smirked.

"Look who's really alive after all," he said, with the air as if he were greeting some long-lost friend. "President Shinra. What an honor."

While the caller expected to come under scrutiny again, however, somehow he wasn't surprised that the President himself did no such thing. Instead, he simply glanced over his caller with something that only seemed to be borderline curiosity.

"My, looks like the secret is getting out." Rufus sounded quite relaxed as well. "Perhaps Healin Lodge wasn't the best place to hide, if even commonplace people are able to discover my whereabouts when I've been presumably dead for two years."

His caller's smirk merely broadened, though it was an attempt to conceal the fact that a finger had twitched at Rufus's statement. "I'm not as 'commonplace' as you might believe, President."

"Apparently not." It was then the President's eyes glanced at the sword strapped to his caller's hip, before settling back in his wheelchair. "Well, state your business here, though be sure it won't take too long. I was just about to enjoy a rather nice breakfast."

"Won't take long at all, 'cuz I'm in a rush too," the caller chuckled, and got straight to the point. "Y'know all that crazy hell that broke loose in Edge a week ago, right?"

"Yes, I am perfectly aware." A blond eyebrow was perked ever so slightly. "Is that what you've come to see me about?"

"That's right."

"Your visit is a waste, then. I merely saw it on the news; otherwise, I have nothing enlightening to offer on the subject."

"It's useless to front me, President. You were there, along with your Turks. You all were tryin' to stop those silver-haired guys."

"What proof do you have that we were connected to that incident?" asked Rufus, who barely seemed perturbed by the caller's accusation.

"You were hidin' their mother, weren't you?"

However much the President might retain his composure, however, Rude had visibly flinched; his brow furrowed, and even from behind his shades, his eyes could be seen narrowing. Anyone else might have overlooked such a minuscule reaction, especially when the Turk relaxed seconds later—but not the boy. Oh no, Rude had given too much away for him already.

"C'mon, I'm right, ain't I?" The caller's smirk was more condescending than ever. "Don't front me, President. I _know_ I'm right. I found you here, didn't I?"

"Really, how did you?" Calm though the President's voice was, he actually sounded like he was challenging the boy's claims. "How would you know anything about us?"

"My boss—she knows everything. She saw everything that happened that day, _including_ what y'all were doing. So, knowing how involved you were in it, she wants to extend… an _offer_ to you, President."

"An offer?" he echoed. "What could anyone possibly offer me? There is… little I want now."

"Another front, President," scoffed his caller. "After all that your damn company did to this world, even somebody like _you_ doesn't feel any remorse about it?"

"Admittedly, I… do feel that I owe a debt to the planet." Rufus sat up a little straighter. "Very well, I'm listening."

"Unfortunately, I don't got a lot of time to explain it all, but _this_ will." He tossed the small, rectangular package at Rude, who swiftly caught it. "In a nutshell, my boss says she might be able to help you clean your slate a little, if you let us help you."

"Help with what, precisely?" Rufus inquired, while Rude was examining the package warily. "Does it have something to do with the incident in Edge?"

"Oh yeah, totally forgot to explain _why_ I brought that up." He laughed. "Y'know how everybody's sayin' those silver-haired guys are dead?"

Rude stared at him.

"That's right, big news flash. They're still around."

This time, Rude and Rufus both had a strong reaction, staring at him incredulously before glancing at each other, and then Rufus beckoned slightly with his head towards his caller.

"I changed my mind," he said, and Rude, handing the President the package, began to advance. "I'd like you to stay a little longer so you can tell more about yourself and this boss of yours."

The caller, however, had already seen him coming. "Sorry, nothin' can do!"

Before Rude could take another step, his intended target suddenly leapt backwards through the still-open door behind, at a speed that they couldn't even begin to _dream_ of matching. Grinning condescendingly, he was already crouching on the railing by the time Rude had reached the door at a dash, pulling on leather gloves and calling for his partner, still somewhere around the corner on the deck.

"Reno!" he shouted. "Get over here now!"

"What's the big deal?" came Reno's voice, obviously not grasping the gravity of the situation right away, spiked coffee or not. "Hang on, don't tell me…"

When Reno came hurrying around the corner, however, splattering his coffee everywhere, he was only in time to see Rude make a grab for his quarry, who swiftly back-flipped off the railing, then a handspring off of the railing below, and landed next to his motorcycle. Both Turks hastened to leap after him, but already he had hopped back onto his vehicle and was starting the engine up.

"Just trust me!" he shouted at them, about to drive away. "You'll _want_ to take up my boss's offer soon enough!"

At that point Reno and Rude had finally reached the ground, only then their quarry had zoomed off down the road, leaving his pursuers in the dust. As he successfully made his escape, he wasn't concerned at all that these people did suddenly try some funny business on him: not only had he been expecting it, but he had also been able to complete his task as messenger here. That was all.

Now, once he retrieved the girl from where he had hidden her, he could finally get going without any further stops to Gongaga, and see just how little May was going to help him.


	13. Materia Bearers

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 13**

_Materia Bearers_

"_Man_, that's a morning workout if there ever was one."

"Get used to it, Kallie. That's what I've endured every morning since I began training."

"Yeah, guess I'll have to," grumbled Kallie, walking over to where her chakram had fallen and picking it up, then glanced back at the blue, elephant-like body of the Elfadunk she had managed to slay.

Twice already this morning they had encounters with monsters, and both times Aurei had asked Yazoo to stop—not because the monsters would have been nuisances, but just so Kallie could battle them and get some more experience in. Part of Kallie did protest, complaining that she hadn't gotten enough rest and she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of the silver-haired brothers. Yet, before she could utter any sort of complaint, Kallie had silenced that part of her and clambered out of the truck to face the monsters without protest. As expected, Kallie's lack of sleep did affect her fighting, and she did end up making a fool of herself in front of the silver-haired brothers. More than once, she would fling her chakram and miss her target, and she would be forced to retrieve her weapon before the monster had a chance to skewer her.

At least at the beginning of each battle, Aurei would step in and kill off the monsters until there was a number Kallie could handle (usually only one or two). But then, Aurei would become content to simply observe the battle from the sidelines and give instruction, unless it was necessary to intervene. Yazoo, of course, only watched with boredom and disdain, impatient for her to finish so they could get back on the road. On the other hand, Loz found great amusement in how 'incompetent' Kallie proved herself to be, often chuckling or snorting whenever she made a mistake.

But, what was concerning Kallie most of all was the fact that her powers hadn't surfaced in either of the battles she had fought so far, even when it seemed that she had avoided death or serious injury by mere inches. Even though after many long, grueling efforts she had finally managed to defeat her foes, she still found herself frustrated with the fact that she hadn't been able to call up a Fire spell when it had been needed the most, which would have probably ended the battle a lot more quickly.

By the time she had finished with that Elfadunk, her vexation with herself was what was affecting her tone of voice. The only thing that could cheer her up even slightly was that, once, she _had_ been able to make her chakram boomerang back to her, and she had managed to catch it—but it had been just that once. Fatigued by the fighting already, she turned back to Aurei, who had been leaning against the truck the entire time, even when she had once cast a Blizzard spell to stop a Kalm Fang in its tracks.

"That was better," said Aurei, her eyes sweeping over Kallie to assess the minor damage she had sustained. "But, still a long way to go."

'_A long way to go…'_ That hadn't been the first time those words had been said to her, Kallie remembered with a fresh wave of fury. While she had been at the kidnapper's mercy, he had jeeringly whispered those words into her ear before proceeding to zap her and render her unconscious. Assuming that they wouldn't encounter the kidnapper—or anybody else associated with May's kidnapping—until Junon, Kallie could only hope that would give her enough time to at least decently come to grips with her skills.

_If I'm gonna rescue May myself… I __**have**__ to._ Now that Kallie had the means to do so, she was determined to uphold her promise to Uncle as much as she possibly could.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that," Kallie admitted resentfully. It wasn't just her powers failing to work, though: at this point, she had numerous cuts and bruises all over. "But, Aurei… it won't take me _too_ long, right?"

"We'll have to see. There is hope in the fact that you may not need seven years of training like I did."

Even though that immediately didn't make sense to Kallie, she felt a glimmer of hope nonetheless. "How's that?"

"Remember, a materia needn't be used in order to grow," explained Aurei. "As long as it's equipped on the user, it will grow regardless of how many times it is utilized in battle; the materia inside of ourselves functions in the same manner."

That was indeed an elating piece of information. _So, it's really not going to be a hopelessly long way to go…_

But, as if she had been able to hear her thoughts, Aurei only leveled her gaze upon her. "That still means you'll need to learn how to connect with your materia and properly utilize it, Kallie. It's not as easy as working with regular materia—that much I've discovered first-hand."

"Figures," Kallie remarked dryly, and that just made her worry resurface. Was she going to have enough time even for _that?_ Before either she or Aurei could continue the discussion, however, one silver-haired man clearly had been waiting for them long enough.

"We've wasted enough time here," came Yazoo's soft, irritated voice. "Get back in the truck already."

As Kallie glared at him, Aurei only calmly replied, "Of course. Before we do go, though, I think a change in seating is in order."

"A change… in seating?" When she heard that, Kallie had been about to put her foot up on the tire and hoist herself into the back of the truck, but stopped abruptly, looking back at Aurei curiously. "Hold it, you're not saying…"

"I am. Why don't you and I exchange seats, Kallie?"

Already, though, Kallie and Yazoo had both realized what that would mean for them. While Yazoo merely eyed her suspiciously, straightaway Kallie declared her opposition to the suggestion.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Turning back around, Kallie again began to hoist herself into the vehicle, but let out a startled cry when Aurei grabbed the back of her jacket and pulled her back, nearly causing her to lose her footing.

"Hey, watch it!" she snapped at Aurei, after having jumped down so she wouldn't have fallen flat onto her rump. "Why should we have to exchange seats? I'm perfectly fine in the back."

Aurei's reply to that was quite simple. "I want you to have a talk with Yazoo."

"Don't try me," came Yazoo's voice; Kallie wasn't the only one displeased to hear Aurei's suggestion. "Just get in. You're both holding us up."

With that, Yazoo slammed his door shut, finalizing his opinion, and Kallie gestured a hand towards him, staring at Aurei exasperatedly when she didn't appear to be fazed one bit by Yazoo's response.

"Exactly my point," she said coolly. "It would be in your best interests to improve your relations with him, Kallie."

"Yeah, right," Kallie muttered. "Like anybody could have a decent 'relation' with that creep."

"Really? I had a nice chat with him earlier."

Before Kallie could put forth a rebuttal, though, the truck started up and the engine rumbled to life, indicating that Yazoo's patience was clearly wearing thin.

"It's pointless to argue further," said Aurei. "Get in before he drives off, because I might not help you catch up this time."

Kallie sighed. "Fine."

Figuring for herself that arguing wasn't going to get her anywhere at this point, especially with Aurei, Kallie grudgingly collected her bag from the back as quickly as possible before Yazoo really did drive off and abandon her again. While her sister swung herself up into the back of the truck with a single hand, Kallie had dashed around to the passenger's side of the cab.

Luckily, by the time Yazoo had shifted the vehicle into gear, Kallie was able to open the door and leap inside, shutting it just as the truck began to move. As she was situating herself, plopping her bag at her feet, she caught Yazoo giving an aggravated glance in her direction before wordlessly returning his gaze to the road ahead.

"Thanks for waiting," she said to him, trying to keep her voice sounding as appreciative as possible, without sarcasm or anything like that. Of course, with Yazoo pretending as if he hadn't heard her, like usual, why should she even bother?

Well, whatever—she was used to it by now. Looking through the window behind her to see how Aurei and Loz were dealing with the new arrangement, she saw Aurei speaking to him about something, though Kallie couldn't hear exactly what. As for Loz, he didn't seem to be too happy about the change of seats either.

At least he was out in the open, with plenty of space and elbowroom, and without the sense of confinement that Kallie was already feeling. Being stuck in such a small space with Yazoo was closer than she cared to be to him, and it only helped slightly that the window next to her was lowered, giving her some fresh air in this cramped, tense atmosphere. Sitting on a leather seat instead of a hard metal floor, though, was by far more comfortable; settling back, she folded her arms, looking out through the windshield.

It wasn't long, however, before the tension started to make her feel fidgety: stretching out her neck even though it wasn't really stiff, crossing and uncrossing her legs, and occasionally sighing. Finally, Kallie decided a distraction of sorts was in order, and thought of the materia her father had given her just before they had taken off, which she hadn't looked at since she had received them. Since it might be a while before her powers and skills would kick in, it was probably a good idea to figure out what materia she had and start using those.

Taking the small box that contained them out of her bag, she opened it up again to reveal the seven materia inside. While she recalled her father informing her that one was an Ifrit and another was a Time, the only ones that had been mastered, the only one she could identify for certain was the red Summon materia. Otherwise, there happened to be two green Magic materia in there, with other Support, Command, and Independent ones that Kallie wasn't sure of.

Yet, with her focus on scrutinizing a green one, wondering if it could be the Time materia, she had failed to notice Yazoo watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"What sort of materia did your father give you?"

The question was so unexpected that Kallie nearly dropped the materia. Whipping her head about, she saw that Yazoo was still facing the road ahead of them, but glanced over once he felt her looking at him.

"Not really sure," she said, still a bit bewildered. If she had been expecting him to say anything to her, it would have been about her holding up the trip, or nagging on her incompetence in battle. "My dad told me one of them would be a Time materia, but I'm not sure if this is it."

"You can't even tell materia apart?" he scoffed, and Kallie sighed, having known better than to believe Yazoo would actually have something nice to say.

"It's been a while since I've been around materia… not counting the materia inside me, obviously." Her intonation was subdued initially, in an attempt to be civil—but it didn't last for long. "Would _you_ know what it is?"

"Of course I would." He responded like it was the most obvious fact in the world. "The most elementary part of using a materia is knowing which one is which."

That smugness just made Kallie's urge for sarcasm return. "Then, in all your high and mighty wisdom, you should be able to tell me what materia this is."

"Let me see it, then."

For the second time, Kallie was taken aback by something unexpected Yazoo had said—at the very least, she would have expected him to refuse her and tell her to get a life. It had probably only been because she had complimented him, sarcastic though she had been. Nonetheless, he was willing to tell her what materia she had, so why not take advantage of the opportunity?

Lightly, she tossed the materia at him, and he nimbly caught it in one hand, holding it up for examination. A bit warily, she watched him as he turned it over once in his hand, his feline eyes glancing over the orb; somehow, without his complete focus on the road, the vehicle wasn't swerving at all. If he was as good at reading materia as he boasted, though, he probably didn't need absolute attention.

"This is the Time materia," he concluded, tossing it back at her, and she had to use both hands to catch it. "It has been fully mastered."

"How can you tell?" she asked, as politely as possible, trying to figure it out for herself as she again examined the materia. Regardless of how gracious she was trying to be, however, his response was still one that was quite scornful.

"If you were more perceptive, you would have noticed it has a brighter luster in comparison to the others."

"I wasn't talking about that." Now she could see the difference between the mastered materia and the others: the luster really was different. "I was… just asking _how_ you could tell it's a Time materia—but don't say it's just because it's 'the most elementary part of using a materia.'"

"It's the most elementary part of using a materia."

Groaning, Kallie planted a palm to her forehead. "Oh, forget it."

In her peripheral vision, though, she was certain she could see Yazoo smirking, if ever so slightly. He liked that, didn't he? Making sure he always got the better of her? It was probably the only thing that would make him happy in the slightest around her; naturally, thinking about it didn't make her happy, because she knew it would be a while—if ever—before she could possibly match up to his skills.

Just thinking about how long it would take for her prowess to develop made her frustration with herself simmer again, and Kallie had to breathe deeply in order to calm down before she gave herself a headache. She _was_ going to master her powers soon enough, she _was_ going to be strong enough to face off against the kidnapper and whoever his allies might be—even Aurei sounded optimistic about that.

Doubt still lingered in her mind, but she doggedly brushed it aside as she examined the other materia, attempting to see if she could possibly remember how to tell them apart. Actually, now that she was thinking about it, maybe she _did_ remember: didn't the materia have to be equipped so the user could probe into the knowledge it contained, and thus identify it? Willing to give it a try so she wouldn't have to ask Yazoo again, she was just about to grab one of her chakrams before a sudden realization made her halt abruptly.

_Wait…_ Staring down at the Time materia again, Kallie then looked back over at Yazoo, somewhat perplexed. _If it has to be equipped, then how could he tell what it was just by __**looking**__ at it?_

"If you wish for me to identify more of your materia, forget about it," Yazoo spoke up, without so much as a glance at her. "Even you can manage something so simple by yourself."

His insult didn't faze her so much this time around, though; in fact, she was actually smirking because his accusation had been wrong. "You know what, I wasn't gonna ask you to, because I think I figured it out. It just brought up a _good_ question."

"It had better be."

"Fine, then here goes." Materia still in hand, she folded her arms, gazing quite pointedly at him. "If people can usually only identify a materia by equipping it, are you so talented that you can just _look_ at a materia and see what kind it is?"

Yazoo scoffed. "That doesn't count as a question."

"Sure, because it's so obvious you're just that skilled." Yet, in spite of her sarcasm, she still bore a slight smirk, for she was confident she knew how to play him: all she had to do was compliment him, right? "But, that also just makes me wonder. I've seen you cast plenty of magic by now, but… I've never seen exactly _where_ you've equipped your materia. It's not even on your gun."

For the next few moments that passed in silence, Kallie thought she had brought up another topic that Yazoo wasn't going to answer, as he merely kept his eyes on the road. Yet just when she sighed, about to relent and begin studying her materia again, she caught him looking at her once more. It was beyond a glance, or a look out of the corner of his eye, however: he had actually turned his head slightly, so she could see both of his eyes and not just his profile.

Only thing was… she couldn't really discern what she was seeing in his eyes. His gaze was simply calm and calculating, like it always was—and yet, the look didn't make her feel comfortable, if only because she couldn't tell _why_ he was looking at her like that. In any case, she was already getting a bad feeling about his response, whatever her question had been…

"You're that curious about it, huh?" he asked, somewhat quietly, and Kallie merely furrowed her brow at him, forcing back her discomfort.

"Duh." Whatever the hell his answer would be, it was time she found out more about this guy. He had done enough prying into _her_ family, after all.

But, it was when Yazoo suddenly smirked that the feelings of discomfort she had been suppressing turned to that of dread, and she at once could sense that she was in for it. Keeping her face as inquisitive as possible, hoping he wouldn't smell her growing fear, she merely watched as he looked down at his left arm, and placed a hand on his bicep.

It was then, moments before he actually showed her, that the realization hit Kallie full on, along with the terror that accompanied it when she saw something like a black mist rising from where his hand was. Her heart gave a thud as he then pulled what was clearly a high-leveled, purple materia from his arm, as easily as though he was retrieving it out of some black mire; Kallie remembered then what May had told her about what Yazoo had done, just before Kadaj had given his speech.

'_He just… put it into his arm…'_ In all of her shock, Kallie's eyes had widened, completely forgetting to hide her alarm. _He can equip materia… __**directly**__ into his body…_

What was probably worse, it was an all too clear reminder of her own abnormal connection with materia, and one she was not glad to realize.

"Unnatural, is it not?" There was no mistaking his delight in her reaction as he held the materia in front of him, smirking still while he placed it back into his arm. That same black mist rose from the spot before it sunk through the leather, with a purplish shine that soon faded away. "And yet, the sight clearly perturbs you, even when you are a similar perversion of nature yourself."

"Don't you _dare_ call me that."

That was one thing Kallie was not going to take lightly: it was more than apparent in her vehement intonation, her eyes that glared down at her knees, a glare so fierce it was a wonder it hadn't burned holes in her jeans. Her hand was clenched so tightly over the materia she held that her knuckles were white, and it was perhaps even more of a miracle that it hadn't cracked yet.

"Don't you _dare_ compare me to you," Kallie hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm _not_ a freak like you!"

When few would have tolerated such a direct insult, however, Yazoo merely chuckled, and the angered heat that had been rising within her flared even more at his apathy—so much that she had to wonder if he was actually trying to provoke her into using her powers.

"How so?" Of course, he wouldn't care if he hadn't been called a freak, for that must be a fact he clearly embraced.

"How _so?_" she repeated, nearly shrieking as she whipped her head about to glare at him. "You don't _care_ about a single damn thing you do, if you injure hundreds of people or kidnap sick, innocent kids! You don't have feelings about _anything_! But _I_ do! I've spent my _life_ caring for others!"

This time, Yazoo actually laughed in cold derision. "Feelings make no difference—they only blind you to the truth. You have a materia as a part of your very body, which no human is naturally capable of. Therefore, you can only be _inhuman_, and that is a fact."

"Feelings don't change that, you say?" she rebutted heatedly. "It makes all the damn difference!"

"Sentiment is a hindrance," he continued, bluntly ignoring her rebuttal. "A burden. Without it, there is nothing to inhibit my actions. As for you, you clearly adhere so much to your… _humane_ feelings that you refuse to accept the fact that you're something other than human."

"My 'humane' feelings are why I'm even _here_ in the first place." Though she had begun to get a grip on her temper, her tone was positively shaking with anger as much as her fists were. But, she couldn't stop herself from pounding her free hand down on the seat. "You know what, screw it! I don't even know why I'm bothering to argue this with you, because you'd _never_ understand."

Once again, Kallie had to grudgingly admit defeat to him, and that was something Yazoo acknowledged, for she could see him smirking. The tension between them was ever stronger as they lapsed into silence, and this time, she knew materia wouldn't be able to distract her. If anything, as she absentmindedly turned the materia over and over in her hand, her elbows resting on her knees, she began to wonder if there was actually truth in Yazoo's words.

_I really am… in denial of my unnatural powers_, she realized, and it was not a pleasant revelation. _Is that why, no matter how hard I tried to, I couldn't get them to work today?_

Sure, she was simply indignant that Yazoo had called her 'a perversion of nature'… But, she had called her powers the exact same thing only yesterday, upon learning their true source. Ever since then, she had been questioning her own status as a human being. Although, the fact that it could possibly mean that made her somehow similar to the silver-haired men was what was really making Kallie sick to her stomach. As much as she wanted to use her materia in order to rescue May, she didn't want to end up like these despicable men!

_Aurei… is that why you've forced this alliance between us? _Out of either anger or disgust, Kallie thought her hands were trembling. _Is it all because we're something like them? Am __**I**__ gonna become something like them?_

Her first impression of her sister, she remembered, when she saw just how cold and reserved Aurei was, was how strongly it reminded her of Yazoo's personality (though Aurei, of course, was by far a more pleasant character). Still, she couldn't help but believe that she hadn't always been that way—especially upon reflecting back on that old photograph of her family, from before the separation.

Maybe it had been taken more than sixteen years ago, and sixteen years could definitely allow for a lot of change… Somehow, though, Kallie couldn't shake that image of the only cheerful expression she had ever seen her sister wear, nor could she shake the feeling that the materia had something to do with it, 'awakened' or not. After all, people who had known Kallie well had always referred to her personality as being 'fiery' or 'hot-headed', and with her powers being aligned with fire… it probably wasn't a mere coincidence.

_Please, tell me that that'll be the extent of its influence… Tell me that, when this is over, I'll still be the Kallie everybody knew._

All of a sudden, it was the first time Kallie had ever felt fearful for her humanity, that she might one day be something less than human, and the first time she had ever actually wanted to get onto her knees and pray—pray that all of her loved ones would still be able to recognize her when she someday returned to them. In the prayer that unconsciously rose in her mind, she thought of May more than anyone else.

No sooner had she thought of her cousin than a familiar determination began to surface within her again, a determination that ran through her veins like the fire inside of her. What the hell was she doing, letting herself fall to pieces like this? As far as she knew, the battle had barely started! And she was giving up _already_?

Human or not, that wasn't going to matter: she still had her 'humane' feelings, and she was absolutely certain that was what would set her apart from the brothers. As long as she held onto those feelings, she would still be a human at heart at the very least, and that didn't mean she was going to keep denying the power of her materia. No, she was going to prove she could master her materia, her powers, and her skills, and _still _be hanging on to her humanity—if only for May's sake!

_And, someday…_ Her eyes flickered briefly towards the man on her left. _I __**will**__ prove to Yazoo that he's wrong about 'sentiment'—I'll prove that it does matter, that I'm not inhuman, and I'll prove it by beating him someday!_

Just then, it occurred to Kallie why Aurei had forced her to sit next to him in this cramped, dingy vehicle.

* * *

At the speed at which they had seen their quarry escaping, Reno and Rude had already known catching him would be impossible. There was little they could do but watch, bewildered, perplexed, and slightly disbelieving after he shouted his final message to them and sped away on his motorcycle, leaving his pursuers in the dust.

"Damn, he moves fast_._ Who the hell _was_ that kid?" Reno finally asked after the flabbergasted moments had passed, still staring after the mysterious boy. In his haste to respond to Rude's call, there were brown splatters of coffee on his white shirt (even though it was soiled somewhat already), and he had dropped his mug, which was now two broken pieces of white china on the wooden deck.

"'Just a messenger', he said," grumbled Rude, pushing his sunglasses up his nose with a frown. "Working on some boss's orders."

"Although, he did have quite a message to convey."

Upon hearing the voice of their superior, the Turks looked up to see the President just appearing from the door of the lodge. As Rufus came to a stop at the railing, however, also gazing off where the blond-haired caller had fled, he was not seated in his wheelchair like he had been a mere minute ago. Without even a hint of difficulty or exertion, he was standing on his own two legs, with no need of the wheelchair he had left behind in the lodge. Furthermore, after his free hand had removed the bandage from around his head, no abrasions or afflictions whatsoever were revealed to be on his handsome face.

"Sir, you shouldn't stand out in the open like that," Rude called up concernedly, starting to head up to where the President stood, not surprised at all that he was fully mobile on his own. "Someone might see you."

"There's no one around, Rude," he responded quite calmly, not even glancing around to see if they really were alone. "Besides, it seems as though the secret of my location might be leaking somehow anyway."

"Yeah, ain't that W.R.O. classified information?" Reno was hastily following his partner up the stairs. "How the hell _did_ that kid find us? Some representative from W.R.O., yo?"

"I highly doubt it." Now that the Turks had reached where he was standing, Rufus looked back at them more directly. "He did mention he was working under some 'boss', and he was reluctant to say who it was. Doesn't sound like how W.R.O. operates to me."

"'Boss'? What 'boss'?" Having missed out on nearly the entire conversation that had transpired inside the lodge, Reno was probably more baffled than anyone else there. "Why was he here? What the hell did he have to say? Fill me in, yo!"

"Rude, I leave that up to you. As for me…" After glancing down at the package in his hand, Rufus began to turn back towards the door. "I'm going to see exactly what else our mysterious visitor brought for us."

Rude's audible sigh was heard, and the President could just envision him adjusting his sunglasses yet again before beginning to recount what had happened after he had reluctantly invited the stranger in. Reentering the lodge, he at last started to open the package, although judging from the shape of the object inside and the odd rattling sound it was making, he already had an idea as to what the contents were.

Sure enough, when he had torn open the packaging and pulled out the object within, it was indeed, as he had assumed, a plain black videotape. The only remarkable thing about it was that the words 'President Shinra' were scribbled upon a label with black pen, in a rather neat lettering.

"A videotape, huh?" he muttered to himself, turning the tape over, though he could glean nothing further from it. "What sort of information could this possibly provide us?"

Before he could head over to the videotape player under the nearby television and see for himself, however, Reno suddenly yelled from outside. Rude had just informed him that, supposedly, Sephiroth's remnants were still alive.

"What!" he shouted, and Rufus could hear him stomping about on the wooden deck. "What the hell is he saying, those silver-haired bastards are _still_ around? You and me snuffed 'em out with our time bombs, then they went and blew themselves up tryin' to kill Cloud! What's it gonna take to make 'em sons of a bitch kick the bucket?"

"Cool it, Reno," Rude grunted, not any happier about that possibility himself. "That kid could be bluffing, for all we know."

_Yet, it's suspicious enough that he knew about my location, that we were involved with the incident in Edge and, most of all, that I had hidden Jenova's head…_

It was the first time in a week that Rufus had felt troubled about anything, the kind of feeling that he believed he would never have to feel again. Perhaps he had once been the wealthiest man in the world, once the head of a company that had practically ruled the world with fear and power, yet even he could enjoy a peaceful life like the one he had grown used to here in Healin. Would the visit from that boy have it all crashing down for real this time?

He would soon find out.

After discarding the packaging on the couch, Rufus picked up the remote from atop the television and turned it on, although he did not immediately pop the videotape in. Instead, acting on a whim, he flipped through the various T.V. channels, only stopping when he had reached the main broadcast station for Edge. Normally, residents of Healin couldn't access this particular news channel, but his cable was wired so he would be able to see several broadcast stations around the world. If he was to remain in hiding, he ought to retain some sort of news feed from the outside, right?

Having a seat on the couch, he diligently watched the news being relayed right now, mainly reporting on ordinary matters: there was more nice weather in store for the Edge area, and a progress report was given on the rebuilding of the Meteor Monument, something which Rufus was considering to anonymously fund. In the next few minutes, however, once those reports were over, the news piece he had been wondering about was soon broadcasted—as much as he wished he didn't have to hear it.

"A newsbreak just in," said the anchorwoman that the camera had just turned upon, and though news reporters often weren't supposed to let their emotions affect their reports, Rufus could tell she wasn't happy about what she had to reveal. "Contrary to the report last week, where we reported that the silver-haired men who terrorized Edge had been announced dead… we have just received word this morning that one may possibly be still alive."

That newsbreak was loud enough for the Turks outside to hear, and they both came dashing into the Lodge, just in time as the woman continued gravely with her report.

"Although the person who provided us with this information asked to remain anonymous, he told us that yesterday evening, at around seven P.M., he saw who he believes was unmistakably one of those men walking through a back street in Edge."

An image of the two silver-haired brothers, just before they had unleashed their Shadow Creepers, appeared next to the woman. Reno growled angrily, while Rude merely grunted, folding his arms.

"The one in question that he believes he saw was the one with the longest hair, and it appeared that he had sustained several injuries as well. What was perhaps the strangest thing, our informant said, was that he appeared to be following a young woman who appeared to be either in her late teens or early twenties, with orange-colored hair. He could not determine if she was affiliated with this man, but said it may be possible she was helping him.

"If anyone has any further information on these two people, our news station will be glad to receive it."

Save for the next piece of news that followed from the anchorwoman, there was nothing but stunned, dumbfounded silence between the Turks and the President, even though the latter was the best at hiding his shock. While Reno was sputtering incomprehensible words at the television, some of which sounded along the lines of profanity, and a distressed Rude had actually removed his sunglasses to rub his eyes, Rufus merely sat back against the couch, touching his fingers to his chin as if in contemplation.

Inside, however, there was no ignoring the immense anxiety that had been instilled by the boy's visit, validated by the newsbreak he had just seen.

_Can this… really be?_

After everything that had transpired a week ago, had they failed to defeat Sephiroth completely? Were those remnants of his (or at least this one) still attempting to bring about Jenova's Reunion? Did they still believe something remained of their 'Mother'?

Above all else, was it serious enough of a matter that some stranger was extending an offer of assistance to him?

In the meantime, now that he had overcome his astonishment, Reno had broken out into a fresh rant, pacing about and flailing his arms furiously, whining that this was the worst start to a morning ever, bemoaning how this all meant he had to kiss this bout of R and R goodbye, and was especially cursing that damned remnant who had decided to come back to life. Although Rude still said nothing, merely replacing his sunglasses and silently walking over to a nearby window, Rufus knew him well enough to tell that he was just as disturbed by this news as he and Reno.

Yet, Rufus was not about to allow this alarming revelation to trouble him any further than it was now, and his Turks knew it just as well as he did.

"Well, if _this_ isn't a major setback," he remarked during a break in Reno's tirade, keeping his voice quite casual as he muted the sound on the television. "That boy wasn't joking around. Our work still seems to be cut out for us after all."

"What do you think it means, sir?" Rude's usual deep monotone gave him some air of aplomb as he turned back to his comrades. "That one of Sephiroth's remnants survived the explosion that nearly killed Cloud, as well as being sighted with a girl who appeared to be helping him?"

"It's quite likely that Sephiroth is still attempting his Reunion through whatever means possible," replied Rufus. "Even if he only has one remnant to do his bidding now."

"If that was the guy I fought—Yasu or Yaji or whatever the hell his name was," groaned Reno, his fingers clenching his fiery-red spikes of hair. "I'll be damned if that means he got a girlfriend before me!"

"Don't be so worked up, Reno. It's highly improbable." The thought did amuse Rufus, but otherwise he thought nothing of it. "Until we know if she really was aiding him or not, that girl is the least of our concerns."

Unless she had something to do with that stranger's visit and his message, of course, and that was his cue to find out exactly what the videotape contained. Likewise, his faithful Turks had taken that as their cue to mobilize and, surprisingly, it was Reno who acknowledged that fact first.

"Oh well," he muttered, rolling his shoulders back and stretching out his arms, appearing to have finally regained his composure even if he still seemed a bit ticked. "Guess that means we're just gonna have to kick their asses even harder this time. Right, partner?"

Grunting, Rude nodded in agreement. "I'll contact Tseng and Elena about this. They should be done with their errand in Healin."

"And I'll get the chopper ready," Reno suddenly grinned, immediately heading for the door, only to give a startled cry when Rude suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, halting him in his tracks and jerking him back. When Reno rounded on his partner, indignantly about to demand an explanation, he settled down at once when Rude merely nodded towards Rufus, who was crouching before the television, having just inserted the tape he had received from their mysterious caller.

"Before either of you do anything…" he said, straightening up and sitting back on the couch as the videotape player whirred into action. "I think we should all see just what our visitor's boss wants with us."

* * *

Half an hour had passed since the argument occurred between Kallie and Yazoo, a half-hour spent in tense silence that had been even more greatly amplified by the animosity, and which she actually wished would be interrupted by another encounter with monsters—if only because of the motivation that had unexpectedly resulted from her perturbing revelation. Now that she had chosen to embrace her powers, even if it meant accepting someone else's consciousness into her own, she merely wanted to prove to Yazoo that her feelings were indeed worth something. They weren't what made her weak; they were what made her strong.

_If only I can access that strength on my own, and not subconsciously like it's been happening all this time…_

That was perhaps the only nagging worry that Kallie was having now: if she were to choose to consciously tap into her power and let it control her actions, the question was _how_. At first, Kallie would have assumed it would be like using regular materia, only Aurei had emphasized how different theirs and ordinary ones really were, and that probably meant tapping into its power would be vastly different too. That wouldn't mean it would be _too_ difficult, though, right? Look at Aurei, for instance, who could seemingly use it as if she was using a normal Blizzard materia.

_Huh, __**normal**__ materia…_ Did she keep referring to other Elemental Magic materia that way just because they weren't a part of someone's body? Or had she been admitting all this time that the materia she and Aurei possessed could possibly be another sort of materia altogether? Was that the only plausibility as to how it had been able to join with her spirit energy, before she herself had become a physical being?

If Kallie was still fretting about the possibility that she might not be human after all… well, _yeah_ she was still concerned that she could be something like whatever the hell the silver-haired men were, but she wasn't going to let it bother her. She had determined that, as long as she kept her 'humane feelings' and sensibility about her, it wouldn't matter if she were physically human or not. That was what would easily set her apart from them.

Besides, now that she thought back on Yazoo's smirk before he had drawn that materia from his arm, he had probably only wanted to do that just so he could see her freak out, as well as calling her 'a perversion of nature'. Indeed, he had been successful at that… but if only partially. It was obvious he took delight in unsettling others, and Kallie wasn't about to let him get that sort of satisfaction.

_Especially not out of me._

With that dogged determination the foremost thing on her mind, Kallie actually felt a thrill of anticipation when the truck started to slow down and pull over to the side of the road, as Yazoo had been doing whenever Aurei had wanted Kallie to fight a monster. As the truck came to a stop and its engine died down, she eagerly glanced about to see what she would be up against now, though was instantly puzzled when she didn't see a sign of life outside the vehicle. Curiously, she looked back through the window to see why Aurei wanted to stop them now, but Kallie only saw her looking back, just as perplexed.

"Hang on, why did we stop?" she immediately asked Yazoo, just as he was opening his door, but he only gave her a brief deadpan before stepping out. Opening up her door too, she jumped out and walked around to the other side of the truck just in time to hear Yazoo speaking to Aurei, and got her answer then.

"Out of gas, you say?" repeated Aurei, who had just leaped out of the back to land before Yazoo. "Shouldn't there be a container of extra fuel somewhere?"

"It was used up," was Yazoo's passive reply, and Kallie felt a pang of dismay. "As I believed I would only be using the truck a short while, I did not bother to acquire any more fuel."

"That's unfortunate," remarked Aurei (as if that wasn't an understatement). "Well, I suppose we ought to be grateful that the truck has carried us this far."

"Hold on a sec." Despair sinking into her stomach like a stone, Kallie dashed up to where Aurei and Yazoo were standing. "You mean… we're gonna have to _walk_ the rest of the way?"

"Do you see something else to use as transportation?" her sister asked, with a hint of irritation, and it was apparent she wasn't any happier about the idea. Realizing that she should have known better than to complain, Kallie sighed—still, she had good reason to be upset!

"It's just… how can we expect to catch up with the kidnapper if we have to walk?" she inquired heatedly. "He probably has some kind of transportation himself! If that's the case, we'll never catch up!"

_Besides… I'm as sore as __**hell**__._

Three battles were already starting to have their wear and tear on Kallie this morning: her arms were sore from having chucked and slashed with her chakrams countless times, and her legs (more specifically, her aching calves) had taken a beating from all the running and dodging she had had to do. Having been able to rest her fatigued muscles had been a bonus from riding in the truck, and a hike now, even at a leisurely pace, wouldn't be of much help.

"But if you keep standing here, running your mouth about a situation you can't change, you will never gain ground on him, period."

A pulsation of angry heat creeping up Kallie's neck, she scowled at the silver-haired man who had uttered that line, and who narrowed his eyes in return before stalking away down the road, Loz soon joining him a few seconds later. Just before he had turned away, however, she had glimpsed smugness flash across his face; ever since that argument, he was probably confident he could reign victorious over her no matter the situation.

And yet again, Kallie had to accept defeat: she was aware as well as he was that, yeah, he was right. But, only on small matters like that would she ever admit that Yazoo had a point about something. Knowing there was no other option, all Kallie could do was collect her bag from where she had left it in the truck and begin the rest of the arduous journey on foot. Only glancing back once at the vehicle that had carried them this far, she hastened to fall into step beside Aurei, the two brothers already several yards ahead of them.

"Think we could find some other kind of transport soon?" she was quick to ask her sister. "Y'know, like chocobos? Aren't they pretty common in this area?"

"Common in the Kalm area, yes, but not around here," Aurei informed her. "Over several years, Father has consistently been able to document that the chocobos tend to avoid this particular area due to the concentration of other monster species."

As Kallie sighed, though, Aurei continued. "It's true, this is a rather major setback for us. At this rate, we probably won't reach the Midgar Marshes until late afternoon or early evening, and then we'll have to stop, because the marshes are dangerous to cross after dark. Not only is the terrain swampy, uneven, and therefore treacherous, but there's also—"

"The Midgar Zolom," Kallie finished for her. "Yeah, I know."

When Aurei had first informed her of their probable route to Junon, the moment she had mentioned they would be traversing the Midgar Marshes, Kallie had thought of the gargantuan serpent that made the marshes its habitat, and which the marshes were subsequently infamous for. That hadn't been the first time the Zolom had been on her mind, though—a long time ago, when she had been curious about what Uncle Neil had done while he was in the Shinra army, he had told her that part of his training for SOLDIER had entailed fighting a Midgar Zolom solo. It had been one of the toughest battles during his training, he had said, and he even had had the scar on his stomach to prove it.

Naturally, the idea that she might be facing the Zolom before long, the monster that so many spoke of in awe and fear, was all but terrifying—and yet, thrilling. While an expert fighter such as Aurei, Loz, or Yazoo could confront the Zolom with little difficulty, it was said Zoloms were a good challenge for beginners ready to try something more advanced. The cogs were really turning in Kallie's head now: if there was anything that might prove her prowess in battle, it would be taking down one—maybe even more—of those serpents!

_Especially if my materia will do something amazing for me…_

As Kallie mulled over this golden opportunity that had presented itself, Aurei seemed to be on almost the exact same wavelength. "It's just as well that we're crossing the marshes on foot, then. Not only will that give you a chance to battle the Midgar Zolom, which should be a good experience for you, but our truck wouldn't be able to traverse that road."

"How come?"

"The path is only wide enough to allow a chocobo, motorcycle, or some other small vehicle to pass through; most likely, our truck would have never made it across without getting stuck somewhere."

_Only motorcycles, huh…?_

Although still thrilled at the prospect of facing off against an infamously challenging, high-level monster, for whatever reason, Aurei's mention of motorcycles brought Kallie out of that train of thought. It was as if… she ought to be remembering some detail that would be of great importance to her, and something which she had been wondering about, if only briefly, but couldn't put her finger on it… Although, she _did_ feel it had to do something with the kidnapper.

"Something the matter, Kallie?"

"I don't know…" Her contemplation must have shown through on her face; what _wasn't_ the matter right now, though? "Well, when you mentioned motorcycles… I thought that maybe the kidnapper would be riding one."

"No surprise there. Save for airships and other airborne vehicles, they're just about the only kind of vehicle that can travel most of the world nowadays."

"Well, _yeah_, that's probably why." Kallie just felt as though there was something _more_ to it, and not just the issue that it probably meant he would gain even more headway now that they had lost their current means of transportation. It felt like it was _so_ obvious that she should remember that it was starting to frustrate her—just what _was_ it?

And then, with a sudden jolt, she remembered just exactly what it was.

"Aurei, I think… I think I had a vision of the kidnapper."

"A vision, you say?" Somehow, it didn't surprise Kallie that Aurei didn't sound surprised to hear it—but, Kallie _was_ surprised that she could talk about it without feeling absurd, even after all that had happened to her so far.

"Yeah… It was a vision I had yesterday, just as we were leaving Midgar's ruins." Fleeting though the vision had been, and though she had forgotten the vision almost entirely, she could at least easily recall the details she had been able to perceive. "It was quick, but I could see some guy on a motorcycle. He _seemed_ to be a bit too far away for me to see much, but I thought I could see blond hair… and I'm pretty sure when I saw the kidnapper myself before he knocked me out, he had blond hair too."

"I see," was all Aurei could say to that, apparently, and it suddenly frustrated Kallie that she didn't take more of an interest in what Kallie was saying. But once Kallie told her about the next thing she recalled, she would definitely _have_ to express interest.

"At first, I thought I was starting to lose it when I had that vision. Thing is, just before that, I saw a vision of _you_—that's right, _you_, and it looked like you were sitting against a tree, but that's all I got to see.

"I decided not to think about it _too_ much, so I just forgot about it… but then I met you, and I realized that there _had_ to be something more to it." Folding her arms, she looked pointedly at her sister. "So, tell me, Aurei. I can understand why I might have a vision of you, with you being my sister and sharing that connection to materia… but, _why_ would I have a vision of that guy too? Is it because he's that significant of an enemy or something?"

"You could say that," Aurei said, and it satisfied Kallie that she was starting to sound graver. "I thought you might have had one of those visions yourself by now."

"So, you _do_ have these visions too… Not that that surprises me."

"But, will it surprise you that the kidnapper most likely has had these visions as well?"

"I—what?" This time, Kallie really was surprised, and it was written all over her expression as she stared incredulously at Aurei. "Whaddya mean, he's had them too? How could he?"

Just as she had done before revealing the source of her and Kallie's abilities, Aurei sighed and briefly closed her eyes. "Did you… really believe that only you and I have such an unusual connection to materia?"

For a split second, Kallie actually thought her heart had stopped. Did Aurei just imply… what she thought she had implied?

"You don't mean…" Almost without knowing she had—perhaps even too stunned to realize it, Kallie halted abruptly. "You don't mean… he's got one _too_?"

It wasn't just Kallie, however, who was stunned by Aurei's words—or at least took an intent interest in them. Ahead of them, Yazoo had glanced back over his shoulder before coming to a stop himself, and Loz, almost completely unaware, had kept on walking, until it probably suddenly hit him that his brother was no longer at his side. By the time he did notice and also turned back around, Yazoo was already walking back to where the women had stopped, his expression hinting at his curiosity.

"There's someone else with the same abnormality as yours, you say?" he asked, fixating Aurei with a questioning gaze once he had stopped a few feet away. "You failed to inform me and Loz of that."

For once, Kallie was glad to be of the same mind as Yazoo. "Yeah, you didn't tell me either! Why didn't you? It could've—"

But Aurei merely held up a hand, to deter any excessive questioning. "Because you seemed to have been overwhelmed enough by what I revealed to you yesterday, that's why. I thought it best not to tell you too much at once."

In hindsight, Kallie did realize that it had been a good idea that Aurei had done just that; it really had been a lot of overwhelming information, and it wasn't about to be lessened by what else Aurei had to unveil.

"So, he's got a materia like ours too," Kallie remarked, folding her arms thoughtfully. "What kind does he have, then?"

"Think about it," said her sister. "You told me yesterday. What did he do to knock you unconscious?"

"…He's got a Lightning materia." Kallie barely had to think about it for more than a second—although, it just made another good question occur to her. "Wait… so you've _known_ about him all along? Why didn't—?"

"I didn't know for sure; in fact, I only knew it for certain once you revealed that you had the same visions as I did."

"Visions?" asked Yazoo, Loz joining them at that very moment. The latter, understandably, looked a bit puzzled, yet probably was nowhere near as intrigued as Yazoo was.

"It's an aspect of our powers even I haven't fully understood, for it seems to occur only at unpredictable times, and thus hasn't surfaced for me often," explained Aurei. "The three of us seem to share some sort of… psychic connection, you could call it. Not only do we have visions of each other, but I've been able to sense when both you and he awakened."

"You were able to sense that?"

"Yes. Along with those visions, it was how I knew events would soon be set into motion."

_That does explain a lot…_ thought Kallie. It would explain how Aurei had known she was coming, or why she hadn't seemed surprised at all by her arrival—hell, she had acted as though she had been prepared to receive Kallie all along. Come to think of it, if they had some kind of metaphysical connection as Aurei seemed to imply… that had to mean she indeed had heard that voice too.

So then, did this also indicate that the kidnapper had experienced all of that too? Would that be how he had known Kallie's name? Her location in Edge? His comment that she still had 'a long way to go' certainly made a lot more sense now. Before she could press for more details, however, Yazoo had presented his next question.

"Is there a reason he is your enemy?" He certainly didn't sound the least bit concerned; instead, it was clear that he was bent on gathering as much information as possible. "I would have expected that, if he possesses a materia within him as you do, he would be on your side."

"Not necessarily so. Although, it doesn't surprise me that he has sided with whoever is our enemy. After all, he has every reason to hate our family and wish us harm… particularly our father."

Kallie blinked. "Our father?"

"That's right. I… might as well tell you this while it's relevant." Again, she closed her eyes momentarily, and again she sighed, though it sounded much heavier than the first. "The boy who kidnapped our cousin, and led you out here on this journey… is our half-brother, Raide."


	14. One Step Further

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 14**

_One Step Further_

_There are three people who carry a materia within them… What is the meaning of this?_

Just how had that come to be? How was it possible? And why these three siblings? Did their connection as family members have something to do with it? Did it have something to do with one of the parents? Had Yazoo been right to be suspicious of the father? It was of little concern to him that this Raide happened to be their half-brother, as much as it astounded him that was yet someone else like the two sisters.

"What's goin' on…?" inquired Loz, puzzled, looking from person to person in the group, but barely anyone paid heed to him.

"Our… _half-brother?_" The girl's mouth was agape with astonishment as she stared incredulously at her sister. "But wait… I thought you said you didn't know anything about him other than he'd be seventeen! Why didn't you _say_ you knew more?"

"For one, I wasn't sure if it really was him until you confirmed it." Though Aurei was probably irritated at having to repeat herself, she kept it in check. "Second, I thought it would be preferable to tell you once you knew more about your materia. You would understand these circumstances better then."

"But, still! It would've been nice to know we're up against… a _family_ member."

Was it just Yazoo, or did it seem to him that the girl was having second thoughts about her objective? Her face had gone from being dumbstruck to something that seemed conflicted, as if reappraising all that she had thought of her adversary.

"What, will that stop you from facing him? Are you reconsidering the matter?"

The way the words left his tongue, it was a taunt more than anything else, and Yazoo realized why he had the urge to goad her: she was letting her _feelings_ get in the way. All because he was family, she just might be considering showing the kidnapper mercy. Perhaps Brother was considered a sibling because he had once possessed Mother's cells, but that hadn't affected Yazoo or either of his brothers from deeming him a traitor.

The orange-haired girl's reaction was nothing unlike he expected as she immediately rounded on him, livid. "'Course that's not gonna stop me! My mission here is to rescue my cousin, and if he happens to get in the way… then so be it."

"I'm glad to see that hasn't wavered your resolve." For a moment, Yazoo could have sworn Aurei had given him something like a grateful look. "From what you told me about how he confronted you, it seems as though he doesn't care if we're his sisters. In fact, he would probably have all the more reason to despise us."

"Because of… what Dad did?" asked the girl. "Well, no surprise there."

Something like anger crossed Aurei's features, but it was quite fleeting—Yazoo had probably been the only one to glimpse it. "That's probably how he came to work for our greater adversary, whoever he or she may be. If he was promised he could deal as much harm to us as possible, it would have been more than enough to convince him."

"Speaking of whoever the hell he's working for… Who could he—_or_ she—be?" For once, the girl had asked a good question, and even Yazoo was curious about that. It could concern him and Loz too, after all. "Whoever it is has know about our powers _and_ the fact that we're related, right?"

"Right. It is a concerning matter, for no one other than our father and my mentor should know about it, and we've been careful to keep it a dire secret. I wouldn't have a clue as to how it would've been found out."

_That mentor again_… Just who had he been to even know about their abilities?

Almost unexpectedly then, Aurei gave an agitated sigh. "Perhaps this was an important discussion, but we shouldn't have stopped." Immediately, she began to walk. "Let's keep moving, we've got a lot of road to cover."

While it had been nothing unlike a command, Yazoo still did follow suit with the others and proceeded along the road. Beside him, Loz did seem to be intrigued by this new information, although probably did not realize just how significant or meaningful it could possibly be. Before he lapsed deeper into thought about these revelations, however, he paid attention to what Aurei had to say to her sister next:

"Kallie, you do realize what other objective we have now, right?"

"What's that?"

"As Raide is the only one we're sure who knows of our adversary's identity, we must not severely wound him, kill him, or let him escape. We must capture him and force him to talk."

"Oh, I was planning to make him talk anyway. I'm just as damn curious about how he knew so much about us as you are."

"Good. Did you hear that, you two?" Aurei called back over her shoulder. "I ask that you also assist us in that regard. I… have a feeling this adversary concerns you both as well."

Yazoo did not ask how Aurei came to surmise that, for it was then the orange-haired girl's turn to speak to him.

"Hey, Yazoo," she said over her shoulder. "Sorry for having thought that the kidnapper was your brother… That was pretty stupid of me in the first place, I guess."

"Apology accepted," replied Yazoo curtly, without really meaning it.

"Of course…" Going on as if she hadn't heard him, the girl suddenly gave a laugh as she looked back ahead of her. "Who would've ever thought that he'd turn out to be _my_ brother?"

With another laugh, the girl picked up her strides, though not quite enough to match her sister's pace. Absentmindedly, Yazoo watched her walk onward, her orange plait swinging back and forth slightly with her gait, briefly reflecting back on that time when she had wrongly accused Kadaj of being her cousin's kidnapper. However, it was her brother rather than his that his thoughts fell upon—even if all he knew of Raide had been by word of mouth, the fact that there existed another unnatural bearer of materia was all too important.

When Mother had come to them in that vision, the only thing that had wholly convinced him and Loz to keep traveling with these two women was her word that they would be of invaluable aid to them, and her urgent emphasis that they remain as allies. In spite of Raide's relation to Aurei and the orange-haired girl, though, she had made no mention whatsoever of their half-brother—whether he too would become an ally, or he was just another enemy they were to watch out for.

But, given the information he had obtained just now, he was coming to conclude that Mother had implied the latter, and it was more of a serious matter than it initially appeared to be. Yesterday, Aurei herself had told them that the orange-haired girl would someday be capable of the strength and skill she had defeated them with. While he found that hard to imagine at this point, he did not doubt that Raide possessed those capabilities, especially since he had probably been aware of his powers as long as Aurei had.

That, he knew, could only mean he was a foe to be reckoned with, just as Mother had warned them. If it turned out that boy did have some involvement with them, Yazoo would be interested in interrogating him himself (and making sure he got to it before Loz did) once they caught up with him.

_Until then, however…_ His gaze became more intently fixated on the back of that orange-haired head. _I must keep an observant eye on this girl, if she really is as useful as Mother promised. I have to know how that can possibly be._

Following the argument that had flared between them, however, Yazoo did have a suspicion he just might be seeing something soon. Having watched the girl out of the corner of his eye afterwards, he thought he had been able to see some sort of change in her expression, a transition from the weariness and animosity she had worn earlier. In its place was what he could only describe as being fierce determination, reminiscent of what had possessed her as she had rushed to stop the Whole Eater that had been on the verge of killing her cousin—only to, moments later, unintentionally cast the Fire spell that had ultimately saved them all.

Either desperation or provocation, it seemed, was the key to awakening her powers, and Yazoo was inclined to believe the horrid revelation he had roused in her would strongly suffice. Just what might he see out of her during the rest of their journey as she became more in tune with her abilities, and met the potential that Mother saw in her? Although he knew himself she still had a long way before that time came, Yazoo's intrigue about a human had never been so keen… particularly if it turned out she wasn't really human after all.

* * *

A long while after Aurei had revealed the startling information about the kidnapper, silence had since fallen over the group as they continued their journey on foot, everyone too deep in thought to lend much to a conversation; Loz was an exception, for he had been pelting Yazoo with questions about what Aurei had been talking about. Once Yazoo had answered with mild irritation, however, Loz too became quiet, and Kallie all too soon began to brood over the kidnapper's true identity again.

That was when they were ambushed.

Even though Kallie knew she shouldn't have, the sudden attack had taken her enough off guard that she had let out a yell. Personally, though, she thought she couldn't be blamed: the pack of Kalm Fangs seemingly leapt out of nowhere from amid the tall grasses and scattered boulders, teeth bared and claws outstretched as they ferociously bore down upon the party.

Her momentary loss of cool was only abashing because of how calmly the rest of the team had handled the ambush, barely batting an eye at the unexpected combatants. Having fought countless numbers of Kalm Fangs in her lifetime and therefore knowing the best way to dispatch them, Aurei cut down two in a couple of swift slashes. In a movement so quick it was only a flash of metal, Yazoo drew his firearm and shot one of the wolf-like creatures between the eyes, felling it before it could even yelp.

Although Loz could never act as composed as either Aurei or Yazoo, it was nonetheless a little scary seeing just how delighted he looked upon grabbing a Kalm Fang by its neck and giving it one vigorous shake that snapped its spine. With all of that action having occurred within a mere few seconds, Kallie was left amazed by how swiftly they had dispatched the enemies, although it wasn't long before she found herself confronted with two opponents of her own.

As the pair of Kalm Fangs advanced upon her, snarling, Loz tossed aside the limp corpse in his hand with a grin and started towards one of the monsters that Kallie faced, but was stopped when Aurei put out a hand to halt him. Already well aware that the beasts were hers to finish off, Kallie grabbed her chakrams and charged at the nearest beast.

Out of her frantic desire to make the first move, Kallie was indeed reckless as she swung at the first Kalm Fang, only to miss when it had leapt aside. Cursing, Kallie wheeled back around and attempted to strike again, yet had already forgotten that there was a second one too; she had barely noticed it in time to see it as it jumped her from behind.

"Keep your eyes on your all foes at all times!" barked Aurei, when Kallie narrowly escaped being mauled. "And don't make me remind you _again_ not to attack recklessly. Think your next action through carefully."

Normally, Kallie would have given a retort back, but she wasn't foolish enough to lose her concentration like that. Setting her jaw even more firmly, she was poised for one second in her fighter's stance again before rushing at the Kalm Fangs once more. This time, though, she had charged in with a quickly formulated strategy, thinking that maybe it would be effective to get in between both of them and keep slashing at them in a whirlwind fashion, so as to not keep her back to one enemy for long.

As ever, though, while she struggled to put that plan into effect, there was but one other thing that plagued her mind, and which, in spite of the powerful resolution she had developed, had yet to be alleviated. Even without Aurei's scorn, she well knew attacking recklessly or with a hastily thought-up strategy would get her nowhere, which was currently being proved as she endeavored to lay even one blow on the Kalm Fangs—she simply couldn't keep this up.

But, in the midst of staying on her toes and keeping her eyes on her foes, how was she to spare _any_ concentration on accessing the skill she knew resided latent within her? Urgently, Kallie tried to experience even an inkling of that déjà vu again, trying to recall exactly what it had felt like to have unleashed her powers in those moments of desperation she had had, and like all the other times she had attempted to consciously call upon it earlier today, she was stymied.

Just _what_ was it going to take to tap into her magic? _How_ could she possibly find that one little indication to know that she was doing this right? Here she was, willing to open herself up completely to whatever had given her the strength and power to save her before. Hell, amid all that frustration, in her mind she was on her knees, _begging_ for that entity to come and—

A heavy weight collided with her as one of the Kalm Fangs pounced on her full force, causing her to stagger back and fall to the ground. For a brief, panicky second, as the creature blasted its hot breath upon her face, Kallie could have sworn she was about to get her throat ripped out, and then she forcibly shoved the beast away. Pressing her advantage as it retreated, she slashed at the creature, feeling a rush of satisfaction as her chakram sliced above its leg, and it gave a howl of pain.

Before she could attack any further, however, a fierce growl sounded from close behind, and Kallie swiftly turned to see the other racing towards her, bearing its sharp, white canines, before it too made its attack. Determined not to falter even though she probably couldn't spare herself in time, she readied a chakram, chancing to throw it when Aurei came dashing in.

Whatever her sister had done to intercept the Kalm Fang happened too fast for Kallie to see, but it seemed to have simply been a kick or some other related melee move. Although it was strong enough to send the beast flying, it wasn't enough to have been a deathblow—at the most, a bone or two had probably been broken.

"I guess it was foolish of me to step you up to two monsters at a time," Aurei said, watching as the Kalm Fang stood back up on unsteady legs. "Let me take care of this one."

Beside her, Kallie had managed to rise back into a slightly crouched position, her eyes too on the panting Kalm Fang that Aurei had been able to injure so easily. As ever, rather than feeling grateful that she had so narrowly avoided death, she could only feel a sense of inferiority and the accompanying frustration welling up inside her.

She hated this. She hated herself for having the ability to fight, yet she was still so powerless.

But, it was as Kallie dismally watched Aurei advance on the beast, that she happened to glance over to where Yazoo stood watching, all in a moment that seemed to take much longer than it should have. His brother was near to him, kicking at the dirt out of boredom, yet all she had eyes for was Yazoo—and the condescending, haughty smirk he wore as he looked directly at her.

That was all it took to make something spark inside of her.

In all the years Aurei had undertaken honing her skills, both physically and mentally, it was the first in a long while when something had happened almost too quickly even for her to perceive. Just as she was prepared to put the Kalm Fang out of its misery, something whizzed by her—disc-shaped, flat, and reddish-brown in color—and landed deep in the beast's shoulder. Even when all her training had taught her not to, Aurei stopped, almost not registering what she had just witnessed when something much larger sped past her.

Faster than anyone had ever seen her move before, Kallie was hurtling towards the Kalm Fang, her legs carrying more with the bounds of a leap than with the strides of a run. Her speed was such that the Kalm Fang was still reeling from the blow when Kallie came rushing in; wrenching out the chakram stuck fast in the beast's flesh, she whirled with a wild cry, and twice sliced its throat.

So fluid were the movements Kallie had used, her arms held in just the correct places and her feet stepping ahead of her in just the right spots, that it might have been all part of a dance, choreographed to slay that Kalm Fang—and she wasn't done yet. As the beast collapsed, blood spewing from its neck, Kallie was already turning towards the last Kalm Fang that remained, cowering on the edge of the battlefield.

Its hackles were raised, its teeth bared, yet it was clearly fearful in the manner it was backing away. It definitely hadn't forgotten the wound she had managed to deal beforehand that was bleeding profusely, turning its purplish fur red. As Kallie approached her opponent without hesitation, she was somehow far more assertive and imposing than she had ever appeared to be before, and there was no mistaking the authority she had over the creature. With seemingly blazing eyes, she surveyed the Kalm Fang as if she couldn't believe it had been such a challenge, then reattached one chakram to her belt and extended her free palm out towards the Kalm Fang.

The creature hastened to leap backward, to make a hurried retreat, yet nothing could have possibly defended it from the Fire spell Kallie cast upon it. An agonized, horrible screech unlike any sound the Kalm Fangs had uttered before rent the open air as it caught aflame. It writhed about in an attempt to extinguish its ignited body, yet nothing could save it from being burned alive. Such a dismal, hopeless notion made the Kalm Fang seem suddenly pitiful when it at last expired, and its charred body collapsed to the ground.

It was then, Yazoo realized, that it was the first time he had seen the girl cast a Fire spell since the incident in Midgar's ruins a week ago, though his perception of her differed now that he was armed with the knowledge he had since obtained. Now he did not deny that, with what he had just witnessed, there was no ignoring how she stood there, her eyes still fixated on the smoldering corpse. It seemed that, somehow, somebody else was standing in her place—a person far more worthy of respect.

That faint feeling of reverence, however, did not stick with him for long; it faded once the girl's alter ego did, and he again began to see her familiar, ordinary visage return. Yet, while the assertiveness that had graced her features had since dissolved, in its place was some other emotion akin to it, with the grin that was slowly spreading across her face. She was unmistakably happy with this victory, and while he would have considered it barely significant, he knew that, to her, it was nothing short of her greatest achievement thus far.

Punching the air ecstatically, Kallie attached the other chakram alongside its companion, dusted her hands off, and turned with a swagger towards her sister. The entire time, Aurei had been quietly standing by, watching with near impassiveness following the instance when surprise had flashed across her face. But, once Kallie looked pointedly at her, placing her hands assertively on her hips, Aurei nodded with the pride of a mentor whose pupil had just ascended to the next level.

"Well done, Kallie. I have no hesitance in saying that was progress."

Progress: that one word was all it took to make Kallie's day, and to make the prospect of such a long, grueling journey suddenly seem not so bad anymore, for that was all Kallie had wanted out of her efforts today. Unlike how other earlier skirmishes had left her, she didn't even feel tired or fatigued, and Kallie could have skipped away as the party left behind the slain Kalm Fangs. While she managed to refrain from that, she nevertheless turned to the silver-haired brothers—Yazoo in particular—and grinned at them.

"See?" she exclaimed. "I told you I'd get the hang of this soon enough, I _told_ you!"

Aside from the elating feeling of progress, seeing how Loz and Yazoo would react to this achievement was something else she highly anticipated. Though she wasn't expecting much, it still pleasantly satisfied her to see a mixture of amazement and bemusement on Loz's face at what he had just witnessed: now he was hopefully reconsidering his comment earlier that she was merely 'a weak girl'.

The same, she felt it was quite safe to say, just might be go for his brother as well; she hoped so, for it was his respect above everyone else's that she yearned for. Even if she were to master her materia completely, Kallie knew she wouldn't feel fulfilled with herself until the day Yazoo recognized her talents.

True, unlike the astonishment that still lingered on Loz's face, Yazoo's expression was as aloof as ever—but that was what was so significant about it. None of the irritation, disdain, or scorn that usually riddled his features whenever he had happened to look at her was present, although Kallie did want to say that he wasn't completely without some kind of emotion. As their gazes met, he tilted his head slightly at her, those feline eyes faintly narrowing before breaking contact entirely, ending the brief, silent exchange.

In fact, that exchange was the final sort of interaction Kallie had with him the rest of the day, and though she wasn't complaining, she still wished to see more signs that she might be earning a little more respect from him. But, while she knew it would be a while before he would regard her as much as he did Aurei, Kallie's confidence remained.

Sadly enough, the number of encounters they had seemed to dwindle as they neared the Midgar Marshes. Although Kallie was quite disappointed that she didn't get to fight more, to again delve into that blissful feeling of aptitude, perhaps it was for the better. As much as her skills might have developed that day, and as much energy as her enthusiasm lent her, it didn't stop the wear and tear that was gradually taking a toll on her body. Being quite aware of that, she had both tried to hide and deny the fatigue, until it caused her to accidentally stumble and almost get herself skewered by a Levrikon's beak. At seeing this, Aurei defeated the rest of the monsters with an eager Loz's aid, then asked that they allow Kallie a short rest.

"Perhaps it's a good thing you're willing to push yourself as much as possible," remarked Aurei, upon pushing Kallie into a seated position when she had insisted she could keep fighting. "But, you dying of fatigue is the opposite of our goals here, I think."

At that, Kallie had given a weak laugh as she took a swig from her water canteen, taking a deep breath after she had done so. Knowing well her sister was right, as usual, she did decide to follow up on Aurei's insistence and let the others do the rest of the battling for today. Thankfully, after she had taken that fifteen-minute break and they got back on the road, there were only a couple more encounters where she had to watch from the sidelines. While she did feel that this fatigue made her appear still incompetent to Loz and Yazoo, Kallie felt she had proven herself enough today that she was barely concerned about it.

By the time they had reached their destination—near the edge of the Midgar Marshes—in the early evening, Kallie was more beaten, sore, and wearied than she had ever been in her life, and yet was still immensely proud of herself. Once Aurei had declared where they would set up camp for the night, and had placed the bags holding their supplies on the ground before taking a seat beside them, Kallie promptly followed suit.

With a flop, she dropped like a rag doll to the earth, groaning as she stretched out her burning legs, then twisted her torso about in either direction, hearing the satisfactory sounds of her spine cracking. Rolling her head about to rid the cricks from her neck too, she detached her chakrams from her belt and put them aside, then sighed as she gazed up at the orange-pinkish sky of a setting sun.

In order to avoid detection from possible passer-bys on the road, and anyone else who might be traversing the Kalm Plains, the place that they had chosen to make camp was several hundred feet from the main road, in a deep, wide gully that definitely made a convenient hiding place. As a matter of fact, they had located this gully so easily that Kallie had to ask Aurei if she had known it was here. Indeed, her response was that, as a result of having accompanied their father in his work on numerous occasions, they had explored this area more than once.

With the tall, earthy walls of the gully around them, though, it hid the fact that the edge of the marshes was only about a hundred feet or so away. Before they had taken refuge within the gully, Kallie had taken a chance to look out over the marshes before them, and although there was little tall vegetation such as trees to block her view, something like a thick mist obscured the marshes enough that she couldn't see far. Yet knowing that, somewhere out there, the Midgar Zolom lurked beneath the murky waters of the marshes made a shiver of anticipation run through her.

_Just hopefully… I won't be __**too**__ tired to fight it_, thought Kallie wearily. She was determined to have a go at it nevertheless, and maybe at least do as much as nick the creature.

Already, despite the discomfort of lying on the hard, bumpy ground, Kallie's eyelids were already feeling droopy, and it was quite tempting to take a snooze right then and there; at least one of the benefits of being such a heavy sleeper was that she could fall asleep almost anywhere. The only thing that kept her resisting the urge to nap was that she was quite hungry, having worked up an immense appetite from all of today's hard work, and so she remained awake while Aurei dug out the food that their father had packed for them.

Since the discussion earlier today about the loss of transportation and Raide's identity, there hadn't been much conversation at all between any of them, other than the short exchanges of speech during battle. Only a few minutes beforehand, though, Loz and Yazoo had gone off a fair distance to probably have a chat in private, and Kallie liked to think that it was about her advancements today.

Naturally, she was too occupied with wolfing down her sandwich that was her dinner to really say much right now, and the same seemed to go for Aurei. Once Kallie had finished in a matter of minutes, though, and was reaching for some fruit, the deliciousness of the meal was such that she had an urge to remark upon it, especially since she knew their father had been the one to make it. In fact, he had prepared last night's meal as well, which had also been very well made, and she couldn't help but think he was quite the culinary expert.

"Yes, Father does like to cook," Aurei replied when Kallie had voiced her remark aloud. "Next to his job as Kalm's chief ecologist, it's one of his favorite things to do. In fact, he tells me that, when he was… married to our mother, he was the one to make their meals everyday. Her culinary skills weren't exactly the best, I hear."

Had it not spoken of their parents' relationship prior to the separation, Kallie might have laughed, for Uncle had said the exact same thing about Mom, and she was willing to believe it. Even after many years of having to cook for her family, she felt her skills in the kitchen still left a lot to be desired. Not that she considered herself bad at cooking, but what she had eaten of their father's cooking last night was better than what she could ever make.

"Guess that's an inherent trait, then," Kallie chortled, taking a bite out of an apple. "You're not bad yourself, though."

"I try." Aurei actually sounded pleased at the small compliment. "After a day's training, Father urges me to prepare our meals sometimes. He says it'll help take my mind off fighting every once in a while."

"That's not a bad idea," agreed Kallie, and on more than just one level.

Even though Aurei hadn't eaten breakfast at all, and only had a small morsel at lunch, that hadn't seemed to starve her enough that she was eager to consume her sandwich—in fact, hers was only half-eaten so far, and she was in no rush to finish the rest of it. While she did have a slender frame, it wasn't unhealthily so, and she had plenty of muscle beside that. Was it just Kallie's guessing, or did her materia affect her to the point where she didn't even need nourishment as often as other people did?

_If that's the case,_ Kallie couldn't help but think, a_t least she eats more often than those two do._

Although Kallie wouldn't know if the brothers ever snuck in a chance to steal food whenever her or Aurei's backs were turned, a gut feeling told her that wasn't the case. When Kallie and her family had sat down to dinner last night, her father politely asked if the two brothers would like to join them, only to have Yazoo ignore him and walk outside, with Loz close behind. They hadn't eaten anything today, and she was guessing they wouldn't need to eat anything tomorrow either.

Just look at how long Yazoo had lasted without any apparent nourishment: one entire week, and he hadn't looked emaciated in the slightest when she first came to interrogate him in the church. Kallie was willing to bet they needed to eat only once every few days, and only a small meal when they did. Even when he ought to be starved after having been deprived of food for seven days, Yazoo had only eaten a couple bowls of the pasta she had cooked for him, and pasta alone could only provide so much sustenance.

_And yet… _A thought had only just occurred to Kallie. _Even if it's only every three days or something like that, they still need to eat in order to survive… just like other living beings._

For once, quite unintentionally, she had realized there was still that one characteristic of theirs that made them somehow human. Seeing Yazoo actually eating the pasta she had prepared for him had greatly surprised Kallie—not only had she believed Yazoo would reject anything she made, but just seeing him eating at all. Especially with how hungrily he had been consuming the meal, for those few minutes he had appeared… remarkably human to her.

No sooner than she had realized the notion that there could be anything remotely human about those two men than Kallie began to ridicule it, and she could have laughed at herself. Who was she kidding, thinking that their need to eat might make them somehow human? Humans weren't the only creatures that needed to eat: plenty of other monsters had to eat on a daily basis too, such as those Kalm Fangs that had tried to have her for lunch.

_At least they're still civil about the way they eat…_ Kallie was grateful to remark. _That they're not… cannibals or something gross like that… Ew._

Shaking the disgusting notion from her head before it could take root any deeper, Kallie consumed the last of her fruit with another drink of water. With nothing else to do or anything more Aurei was asking of her, it seemed the only thing for Kallie to do now would be to finally turn in, but it just felt too _early_ for that.

Though she still had no means to tell exactly what the time was right now, it couldn't be any later than eight or nine o'clock at night, and Kallie couldn't recall the last time she had gotten to bed at that time. Even the nights before she was to go to work, she usually fell asleep at around ten at the earliest, since she either stayed up late watching television or finishing off housekeeping. But, with things the way they were now, and given how little sleep she had gotten over the past few days, there seemed to be no point in remaining awake.

"I dunno about you, but I'm gonna hit the sack now," Kallie said to Aurei, who had finally finished her sandwich and was merely looking up at the darkening sky, where the first few stars were visible. "G' night."

Stretching out, yawning, Kallie laid down in as comfortable a position as she could get on the hard ground, adjusted herself once, and then grabbed her backpack to use as a pillow. All the while, Aurei had said nothing in response, though Kallie could hear her rummaging around in her bag. Paying no heed to her, Kallie was just about to close her eyes when she next heard the rustle of paper, and then of something flying through the air.

Sitting up at once, Kallie was just in time to catch the object Aurei had thrown at her before it would have hit her. Looking down curiously, she saw that it was a small package not unlike the parcels she had bought in Kalm yesterday.

"What's this?" Just from what she could feel through the paper, though, she already had an inkling of an idea.

"If you open it first, you'll see for yourself."

But at that, as Kallie was already making quick work of tearing open the top of the package, Aurei merely sounded amused. Turning it upside down and shaking the package slightly, she barely flinched when a pair of gloves came falling out into her lap, though her eyes did light up like a child's might upon receiving something fabulous for their birthday.

"Did you get these in Kalm yesterday?" Again, Kallie probably answered her own inquiry there, for the gloves definitely looked brand-new. While they were made almost entirely out of leather, most of it was dark brown in color, with a separate red patch on top, and then two metal studs over the knuckles. Like Aurei's, they were also fingerless.

"I did," Aurei replied, watching as Kallie brushed aside the packaging and instantly began pulling the gloves on with mounting eagerness. "I would've given them to you sometime earlier today, only I kept… conveniently forgetting. Besides, it was best you started developing calluses first, so holding your chakrams would be easier."

"'Conveniently', huh?" echoed Kallie. Indeed, she had ended up with blisters on her palms where the chakrams' handles had kept chafing her grip, and they were among the many aches and pains she had garnered during the day's endeavors.

Now that she had the blisters, it was probably too late for the gloves to do any good, but Kallie felt excited nonetheless to have acquired them. Having finished pulling them on, she flexed and twisted her hands about, testing what dexterity they might allow, then picked up a chakram and simply held it in her right hand. Although she wanted to see how well the gloves would protect her from the chakrams, she simply wished to see what they would look like together too.

Wearing these gloves and holding a chakram like this, Kallie had to say, definitely made her feel one step closer to becoming a warrior like her sister. They certainly looked quite sturdy, and she had a feeling they would last a long time. Presently, however, Kallie didn't realize the extent of how helpful these gloves would be for her in the future.

"Thanks, Aurei." Smiling at her sister, Kallie set her chakram aside again, although did not remove her gloves straightaway—she felt content to admire them for a minute or so more.

"You're welcome, I don't doubt they'll be useful to you."

Kallie only nodded absentmindedly at that, however, for as she was continuing to appreciate her new accessory, she could no longer ignore the heaviness upon her eyelids. This had been a nice little distraction, but sleep really was all too tempting at the moment.

"Are you gonna get to sleep soon?" she asked once she had tugged both gloves off and had stashed them away in her bag, before again placing her head down upon her backpack.

"I will, but not until Loz and Yazoo return, and even then I'll probably be awake for a hour or so more."

"Figures." Really wanting to get some sleep now, though, Kallie did not remark further on it; instead, she merely bade good night again and closed her eyes, saying nothing more.

* * *

"It's been a whole day since were given this new mission…" grumbled Elena as she kept a watchful eye through the helicopter window upon the expansive landscape below, colored orange with the setting sun. "And we _still_ haven't spotted a thing of that remnant!"

"Patience, Elena," said Tseng calmly yet firmly, keeping his concentration on the air ahead of him as he was the pilot. "If that one remnant is all that is left of Jenova's cause, I doubt he will be foolish enough to stray out into the open."

Nevertheless, despite his self-possessed tone of voice, it was only enough to successfully hide the frustration he shared with Elena. Just as the President and their other comrades had been upon hearing the news, Tseng and Elena were both left thoroughly bewildered, unsettled, and disheartened that their adversaries had not been entirely defeated. They, like the others, had been fully enjoying their time off, this one week of peace, so they could finally rest from the horrific ordeal the silver-haired trio had put them through, and be reassured Sephiroth would never haunt them again.

But, just like that, with the visit from that mysterious messenger, and the newsflash that one of the remnants had been spotted alive, that tranquility had been so abruptly shattered. Neither he nor Elena, however, had uttered a word of complaint (unlike they knew Reno had); instead, they immediately had sprung into action, taking up the President's orders not a minute later.

"Then, why the heck are we searching from the air?" Elena asked bitterly, still staring down at the Kalm Plains below. "Since that remnant was spotted in Edge, we ought to be searching there with Reno and Rude!"

"He may be, perhaps, but it remains best that we cover as much scope as possible." A faint smile touched Tseng's lips then, though, at hearing her complaining now that only he was around. Despite the two years she had had as a Turk so far, he had to remind himself that she was still only a teenager. "Besides, with what hints that kid and his boss gave us yesterday… the remnant may have left Edge altogether at this point."

Elena groaned, although said no more, and that gave Tseng another opportunity to ponder more upon that somewhat shady information. Though what the boy had said was minimal and reserved, and what his boss had said in the videotape left them scratching their heads with her vague words, there was but one thing that they seemed to have indicated: that the other remnant might still be alive too, and in spite of having lost their leader, they might be more powerful than they had been before.

_With Sephiroth defeated by Cloud, and Geostigma cured by the healing rain… How can that possibly be?_ The thought troubled Tseng. _Could that girl the remnant was sighted with actually have something to do with it?_

Before each pair of Turks had gone out on their assigned task, they took time to have quite a lengthy and detailed discussion situated around all that had been revealed so far by their enigmatic allies. One thing that had been brought up was that 'girl with orange-colored hair', and the idea that she might actually somehow have some connection with the remnant. With the instructions that the 'boss' had given them should the girl be found, Tseng could not shake the disconcerting possibility that she had hinted at her being part of the remnants' newfound power. It was all too much of a coincidence, wasn't it? Wasn't there no telling what trick Sephiroth might yet have up his sleeve?

"Hey Tseng, Elena—you copy?"

"We copy, Reno," Elena immediately replied into her mouthpiece, sounding quite eager for something to break the monotony of their mission thus far. "Did you find anything?"

"Nope, which is why Rude asked me to get in touch with y'all," responded Reno, who also sounded annoyed that he or Rude hadn't turned up anything either. "Wanted to know if you lot found anything, yo."

"Nothing yet," Tseng answered this time. "It'll be too dark to see anything from the chopper soon, so we're thinking of returning to Healin about now. Will you and Rude be staying in Edge another night?"

"Yep, we'll have to. We checked out the news station that gave the broadcast about the damn remnant being back, but they _politely_ refused to tell us the name of the guy who gave them the info. Obviously, people don't remember who the hell we are. Gonna have to try some different tactics, looks like."

"Very well. Report to me once you've found something."

"Same to you, yo." Then, just before he ended the call, Reno muttered in an undertone, "I'll be damned if he ain't in Edge anymore."

Once Reno had hung up, the two Turks chuckled quietly, needing something to break them out of the otherwise solemn atmosphere that surrounded their work—Reno never failed to provide that sort of humor. But, while they soon returned to their watchful scouring, something else did occur to relieve the tedium.

Perhaps only a minute after Reno's call, out of the corner of his eye, Tseng saw Elena lean forward in her seat as if to stare more intently at something at the ground. As she had been doing that repeatedly throughout the day, he did not regard it as anything significant, until she grabbed the binoculars lying next to her and peered through them down at the same spot.

"See something?" Tseng's eyes did not have to search for long, however, before he thought he too saw what it was. Even though it was barely discernible in the fading light from this high up, it looked enough out of place that it was almost blatantly visible.

"Didn't we see that truck earlier, when we were flying out towards Kalm this morning?" she asked, once she thought he also spotted it, referencing when they had taken the first part of the day to do some investigation in the village itself.

"I think we did," he agreed, bringing the helicopter to a hover almost above the vehicle that was pulled off to the side of the road, another thing that made it appear slightly suspicious. Elena's thoughts were the same.

"Does look kinda sketchy, sitting out in the middle of nowhere. I don't see anybody around it either." After scrutinizing the truck a little more through her binoculars, Elena looked back over at her boss, almost pleadingly. "It's worth investigating, _right?_"

More than anything, most likely, she just wanted an opportunity to get out of the cramped cockpit and stretch her legs. But Tseng, having to admit he was of the same opinion, wordlessly nodded in assent and prepared the chopper for landing. He did not see any harm done in making a last short stop, even though he had a feeling nothing would come of it, like everything else had today.

Tseng landed the helicopter about fifty feet away from the truck, and before the blades atop the chopper had even stopped rotating, Elena was already removing her headset, heading towards the exit. Tseng followed suit just as she opened the helicopter door and jumped out. While she stretched out with a relieved sigh, he immediately moved towards the truck, his hand gravitating towards his hidden, holstered gun should there be someone hiding inside who meant harm.

After making a wary approach, however, and finding that the truck really was abandoned, Tseng relaxed a little. As the door to the driver's side was open, he was able to simply peer in and make a quick inspection of the inside, though immediately found nothing of interest other than the fact that the key was still in the ignition, the gears still in drive. When he tried to fire up the engine, it would only cough and sputter but never start, indicating that the truck had run out of gas.

"I've probably discovered why the truck's been abandoned," he called to Elena, who had since climbed into the back of the truck and had gotten down on her knees to make a careful examination.

"There's not much back here," she reported. "But say… didn't Reno tell us that one of the remnants brought those infected kids to the Forgotten City in a truck? Could it be this one?"

"It's a possibility." Secretly, Tseng praised her for bringing up that detail, as even he had forgotten about it.

Despite the fact that the time bombs had failed to destroy the remnants, it must have certainly obliterated their motorbikes, and had served to thwart them for the time being. The idea that the sighted silver-haired man had driven this truck suddenly made all the more plausible, he began to search the interior of the cab much more thoroughly.

Several minutes passed in silence as the two Turks diligently looked over every inch of the truck, or at least Tseng knew he was: he opened up the glove compartment, patted along the floor of the cab, and even pried apart the leather seats, all in search of even the smallest indication their quarry had occupied this vehicle. Even though he could not see her, nor had she said anything, he was confident Elena was doing just as thorough a job.

As those long minutes wore on, though, and nothing significant had yet revealed itself, he began to exhaust ideas of where to look next. Subsequently, his hope that this could be a lead began to fade, although he had to remark on the pristine condition the truck had been left in—the most he could find was the dirt and lint collected in the corners. Thinking that if he didn't find anything underneath the hood of the truck, he would call it quits then and propose they head for Healin, Tseng was just climbing out from the passenger's side when he heard Elena give an audible gasp.

With that gasp being the first thing he had heard out of her in the past several minutes, aside from sighs of frustration, it certainly caught Tseng's attention. Stepping to the ground, he looked over the side of the truck and saw Elena kneeling, bent over, on the opposite side from him. Whatever had surprised her she was evidently holding up before her face, although her back was turned to him so he could not see what it was.

"What did you find, Elena?"

For a few seconds more, she did not answer him, still studying whatever she appeared to be grasping between her thumb and index finger. Then, without elaborating, she turned about and walked toward him on her knees, still holding her fingers in the same position. As she drew closer, and still Tseng could see nothing, he was about to curiously again inquire what it was when the hardly perceptible object suddenly caught the dying rays of the sun.

"I don't know if it's just my eyes or not…" said Elena, once she reached the side of the truck where Tseng stood and held it closer to him (with a bit of disgust, he might add). "But, doesn't this look like silver to you?"

His brow slightly furrowed, Tseng closely examined the strand of hair she held before his face, actually carefully taking it between his own thumb and index finger, although came to the same conclusion as she had. Tseng had enough training in forensics to realize what he was looking at.

"Contact the others about this immediately," he commanded, and Elena immediately dug into her pocket for her cell phone, which she had replaced only yesterday. "I think we've found a lead after all."

A slight one, yes, but it was all Tseng needed to know they were indeed on the right track.

* * *

Monsters. That was the only word Kallie could think of to describe them, in the way they loomed over her, lunged for her, and lashed out at her. And yet, she knew they were nothing but people too. However, that did not change the fact that they were a threat, that they required extermination, and that nothing could be done about any of it—and that was what pained her most of all.

_Why…? Why did this have to happen?_

It was a fate far too terrible and cruel for them. It was a task far too horrible and merciless for her to perform. Never did people deserve to be rent apart by others of their own kind, nor did Kallie ever deserve to be the executioner, with the chakrams she held in her very hands, burned alive by the fire she possessed. All she wished she could do was throw aside her weapons and shout at them, to plead and reason with them to return to their senses, to tell them this wasn't what she wanted to do to them.

But, Kallie had tried that before, and it was futile every single time. They would no longer recognize her as a person, uttering cries not unlike what their voices had previously been, only grotesquely malformed in tone and pitch. The onslaught seemed endless, as they persistently struck out at her again and again. Again and again, she had no choice but to kill. That was all could be done to stop them.

Kallie just wished that she could just run away, to never have to lay eyes on those dreadful faces again, and to avoid the horrendous deeds altogether. The only thing that drove her onward, to continue along this path and dispatch the people in her way, was her sense of duty, of devotion, and of dread.

_I have to know if she's all right…_ It couldn't have happened to her too, it just couldn't have!

With that thought, the sickening feeling blooming in her stomach—a vile blend of anxiety and disgust—became all too much. It was all that was needed to blessedly wrench Kallie back to awareness, out of her nightmare, and into reality. After all those numbing sensations that accompanied her disquiet, it took a short while for her to realize the chafing of her backpack against her cheek, the hardness of the earth she lay on, and the coldness of the sweat all over her body.

As was usual after many awoke from their dreams, even from horrendous nightmares like the one Kallie had just had, she already had forgotten most of what she had experienced, and only recalled flashes of images. Yet something as powerful as that nauseated feeling wasn't so easy to wash away, and it lingered as she lay there, merely feeling a great relief that it hadn't actually happened, only mourning the fact that she probably had again been robbed of a decent sleep.

_Damn these nightmares… just damn them._

She probably had been asleep for a good few hours, at least, for it was definitely the dead of night right now, and the half-moon was almost directly overhead. Also, while it took a while for her opened eyes to adjust to the dimness of the moonlight, Kallie could eventually perceive that Loz and Yazoo were seated on opposite sides of the gully, probably having returned from their private discussion a while ago. It surprised her that they had bothered to come back to the campsite, even if Kallie well knew they weren't about to stray from their alliance.

Since she could easily see her from where she lay, Aurei had fallen asleep, though she could tell that the brothers were still awake: Loz shifted slightly where he sat, and Yazoo tilted his head back a little as if to look up at the starry sky above. Just like she had supposed they wouldn't need to eat anything for another day or so, it didn't surprise Kallie that they weren't sleeping now either, though she was curious about when they finally would. She just wanted to see evidence for herself that there was something human about them.

_If there's something remotely human even about the way they sleep…_

Fervently hoping it hadn't been apparent to them that she had been having a nightmare, Kallie gingerly sat up, stretching out and wiping her brow free of sweat. Still slightly drowsy and perturbed by her nightmare, she was glad to find that, other than an initial glance towards her when she had first been upright, they disregarded her for the most part. Neither did anything to acknowledge her by the time she lay back down again, her back turned to them as she tried to fall back asleep.

Yet after several minutes of simply lying there, endeavoring to drift off again, Kallie sighed and opened her eyes again to find herself staring at the dreary sight of the gully's dirt wall before her. Suddenly agitated, she rolled back over so she again faced the silver-haired brothers, though this time they made no indication they had taken notice of her restlessness. Instead of immediately closing her eyes then, though, as the heaviness of sleep wasn't weighing them down, she was content to keep them open, at least for a little while.

Of the two brothers, Yazoo was the one who was most directly in her line of sight, seated diagonally across from where she lay, while Loz was opposite from him and barely in her peripheral vision. As the opportunity hadn't presented itself as of yet, Kallie took advantage of what was perhaps the first instance where she was able to look at him and study him with him being unaware.

Were it not for the way their hair caught the moon's rays so radiantly (Yazoo in particular, since Loz sat somewhat in the shadows), Kallie might have overlooked them completely at first, especially with how black their uniforms were. Besides the fact that normal hair was otherwise incapable of such luminosity, she still couldn't get over how their hair could be such a silvery color. While it wasn't the first time she had seen silver hair, it had only been on elderly people, and even then she had never seen any with that brilliant or healthy of a luster. Their hair had all the youthfulness of a person in their prime, if not better.

The style of their hair too, Kallie had to say, was something else to remark upon, particularly Loz's, though Kallie wasn't readily about to think of an explanation for how his could stay up like that. She did, however, have to remark on the length of Yazoo's hair: she had seen guys with hair nearly that long before, and yet she had seen none that well kempt. Heck, she was a girl with hair almost that same length, and yet he made her feel ashamed it wasn't in better condition.

_It's bad enough that he's got girlish looks prettier than mine_, Kallie reflected grudgingly, closing her eyes as if to make sure that she wouldn't lay eyes upon him again, though they didn't stay shut for long before she resumed gazing at him.

Fine, maybe Yazoo was a guy who was more likely to be mistaken for a woman than what was probably healthy for him, but there was… a distinctive otherworldliness to his features as well. Aided by his aloof demeanor, it made him seem even more unearthly—unfathomable, even.

_Really… just what exactly __**is**__ he? What else can he and Loz be, if not human?_

The more she thought about the question that had plagued her ever since she had seen them, the more she found it was successfully drawing her towards sleep; her eyes had closed without her being aware. Feeling drowsiness creeping over her again, she found herself presented with an interesting realization. The way she and others had often described the brothers—silver hair, green feline eyes, black leather uniforms—vaguely reminded her of something else. It was as if she had heard that description before, and she ought to remember exactly where, yet couldn't quite place where that bell was ringing…

"Hey, Yazoo?"

Loz's deep, gruff voice rang out so unexpectedly Kallie almost jumped back up, and after being so close to finally falling back asleep, she wanted to smack him for having awakened her again. Instead, her immediate reaction was to stay still, to make it seem as though she had successfully drifted off after all, and hoping that neither had noticed her starting, for she wanted to eavesdrop on whatever conversation they were about to have. While she had been present whenever they had small exchanges, she had never been around them when they had a truly important discussion. Anything they said might lend more clues as to who or what they were, and Kallie was especially eager to hear what they thought of her and Aurei.

"What is it now?" It surprised Kallie that he hadn't answered irritably or snappishly—as a matter of fact, his response was quite placid. Could he actually be in a good mood?

"I've… just been thinking…" A long pause followed afterward as Loz seemingly struggled to find the right way to word his thoughts, and Kallie heard Yazoo chuckle.

"'_Thinking'_, Loz?" Yazoo derided, and Kallie could imagine Loz cringing. "You've been 'thinking' for once?"

Obviously both abashed and affronted, Loz cleared his throat. "I do a lot more thinking than you might… think, Yazoo."

At that, Kallie herself wanted to burst out laughing, but restrained herself in fear of giving away the fact she was still awake. Yazoo gave another scornful chuckle, louder than the first, before swiftly recomposing himself.

"Hopefully then, if you've been thinking, it has been about something worthwhile."

"Yeah… I think so." A few seconds more passed, during which she heard the movement of dirt as Loz shifted position, and he cleared his throat again. "It's just that… ever since we were talking about Aurei and Kallie's brother… I've been thinking about Kadaj again."

A silence fell then, during which Kallie found her breath suddenly bated, eager to hear more about their younger brother that had only been mentioned once during the entire journey. Diagonally across from her, however, Kallie swore she could start to feel a chilliness emanating from where Yazoo sat, and when he spoke again, his voice was laced with more frosty undertones than before.

"What is there to think about regarding him?" he asked. "Kadaj is dead. We both saw him die."

"I know," sputtered Loz, probably already sensing this was headed just where he thought it might: nowhere. "It's just that—"

"There is nothing more Kadaj is useful for now."

"I know," Loz tried to say again. "But—"

"It's pointless to dwell on him any further. He failed as our leader, and now we are the only ones to carry on with the mission. Do you not realize Mother dictated that herself?"

Unable to believe the information she was hearing, Kallie's heart was pounding, and it was a miracle they couldn't hear it too. Was she possibly about to hear the truth about the mission that they were on? Had Kadaj really been their leader? And the mention of 'Mother' too… When May had recounted the ghastly events that had occurred in the mystical forest, she had said Kadaj had spoken of a 'Mother'. Was she the one behind all the insanity the brothers had been involved in since the beginning of all this? Was 'Mother' just an alias or… were they referring to their actual mother?

_That sure might explain a hell of a lot_. It kind of struck a sentimental note in Kallie too, for even Yazoo seemed to hold this 'Mother' in high esteem, from the softened tone of his voice when he had said her name.

"Yeah, I do." This time, however, Kallie thought she could hear some kind of doggedness in Loz's voice, probably determined to finally have himself heard. "But, it's just that… What if Kadaj really isn't all that done for?"

And this time, Kallie could have sworn she heard a growl in Yazoo's voice just before he spoke. "Did I not say that we saw Kadaj dissipate before our own eyes? The Lifestream took him, Loz. Thus, there cannot possibly be a way for him to return."

"But… couldn't Mother find a way to bring him back?"

"Loz." With how laden with coldness Loz's name was when Yazoo had said it, there was no mistaking some nerve had been touched, and Kallie could hear the creaking of his leather as he leaned forward slightly. "Are you… questioning our capability to complete the mission Mother gave us? Do you believe that we will be unable to handle this on our own, without Kadaj here as well?"

The scene at the current moment was clearly pictured in Kallie's mind, even with her eyes closed: Yazoo leaning towards Loz, fixating him with a cold, questioning gaze, while Loz merely sat there, hesitant, aware he had just said the completely wrong thing, and was more than likely regretting he had ever broached the topic.

"No, Yazoo…" was all he said, in a deflated intonation.

"Good." Clearly satisfied with Loz's response, though still probably displeased that the subject had been brought up at all, there was again the creaking of his leather as he settled back. "Let me remind you, then, that Mother has designated these two women as our allies, and that is all that is required. Mother made no mention of Kadaj to us yesterday, and that can only mean she has seen his usefulness has expired.

"That is all, Loz. Don't ever mention Kadaj again, for there is no need of it."

Those words were inflicted with such cool conviction that they were nothing short of a threat, and harsh enough Kallie believed the matter had been extinguished for good. The conversation certainly had been, for Loz lapsed into total silence. In fact, even though Yazoo's final statement had been entirely directed at Loz, the iciness behind it was such that Kallie could feel a chill creeping down her spine. She had to fight to suppress her shivers, for the threatening words were a frightful reminder of the ruthless character Yazoo was.

And yet, in spite of that reminder, in spite of the iciness he had just displayed… Kallie believed a vulnerability had been exposed to her underneath all of that. It was such a startling observation, and one so sudden, she wondered if she was reading too far into it. But, it had become clear to her then why Yazoo had expressed zero grief over Kadaj's death.

_Yazoo… hated him…_ Kallie realized. _He hated Kadaj because Kadaj was the leader. I'm willing to bet he didn't like having to take orders from him, or get bossed around by him._

Tired as Kallie was, her thoughts probably weren't as coherent or reasonable as they ought to be, but she thought she really had hit upon something. The day before yesterday, when she had struggled to convince him to assist her, Yazoo had agreed to—only under the condition that she followed his orders, _'whatever they may be.'_ As expressionless as his face had remained, she couldn't forget the complacent gleam in his emerald eyes when he had said that.

It had pleased Yazoo that, for once, he could be the leader, the one to boss people around… albeit short-lived thanks to Aurei's entrance into the picture, for he wasn't being much of a leader now that she was here. Whether he realized that or not, that didn't stop him from constantly scorning either Kallie or Loz when opportunity allowed, and he always seemed to take delight in doing so.

Not only that, but… again and again, Yazoo had mentioned how Kadaj was no longer of any use to them, and it was pointless to even consider him anymore. Did that imply, in some way, that Kadaj had been the one to regard Yazoo as useless? Was that why Yazoo despised him so? Quite honestly, Kallie couldn't see how Yazoo could be useless, for he was as adept a warrior as either Aurei or Loz, even if he had lost to the former.

_Bah, who am __**I**__ to feel sorry for him? He's just a big bully, isn't he…?_

As Kallie had been hoping, her state of wakefulness had gone unnoticed by both brothers; when Yazoo absentmindedly glanced her way once the conversation had ended between him and Loz, she had slipped back into sleep again. Because she was awake only a short time beforehand, though, Yazoo had wondered if she had fallen asleep so quickly, but didn't think it really mattered at this point if she listened in on them or not. Wasn't it likely that Mother, at some time or another, would reveal herself to the sisters too?

Yet, while Yazoo tried to focus his musings on that question, in an attempt to think no more about his deceased brother, it was becoming increasingly futile. It wasn't as if he _didn't_ have Kadaj in his thoughts ever since the events of that fateful day, as they progressed along their journey. Every time he did, though, he would curse Kadaj's memory, for all he wanted was to forget about him. He had no reason to mourn him or wish he would be revived, and only had once because he had been that desperate for someone of aid. Other than Loz, Kadaj had been the only other living person he trusted.

_Mother wouldn't really revive him, though, would she…?_ She had favored him in life, after all, choosing that impertinent boy to be the leader, so was it not possible she would attempt to resurrect him?

No, she wouldn't! She couldn't. They knew Mother was practically powerless as she was right now, and it seemed the best she could do was speak to them through their minds, from whatever distant, unknown location she currently resided. That was why she had asked them to ally with the sisters, wasn't it? To act as replacements for Kadaj, if not something better?

_But…_ The counteractive, cumbersome thoughts would not leave Yazoo be. _What if they're merely aids to us… until Mother can find a way to revive him?_

The revelation stabbed into his brain like a needle, and Yazoo had to resist the urge to put a hand to his head as if to pluck it away. He certainly tried to keep his expression free of that awful thought, since Loz might be able to spy it with his enhanced vision even in the dimness of the moonlight. How long would Mother keep them traveling with these women? Until their mission was completed? Until… Kadaj was brought back to life?

_Mother… Do we still need to have Kadaj back as our leader? Do you really not believe… in __**my**__ capabilities?_

The idea that Mother did not regard him as highly as Kadaj, or even as highly as Loz, was the only thing that could ever waver Yazoo's self-assurance, and make him feel even remotely like a lesser being. It had always bothered Yazoo how Mother had come to choose Kadaj as the leader, in spite of how much younger he appeared to be than the pair of brothers. Only, Yazoo well knew he shouldn't have underestimated him like that: Kadaj had possessed both Loz's brute strength and Yazoo's keen intellect, and had not hesitated to use them in a deadly combination.

Because of that, then, he ought to feel it meant that he and Loz were equals, and that he was still on par with someone else's abilities: it was how the two of them worked so well together, after all. Nevertheless, Yazoo still wished to be no one's equal, to be only higher than others, and yet he still felt inferior, even to Loz. Loz might behave and think like nothing more than a child, but his immense strength easily compensated, especially on the field of battle.

Aside from his composure he could keep at all times, and his sharpened wit, what did Yazoo have to offer? He was the weakest of his trio of brothers, he knew, with only his accurate marksmanship to count on; even then, Yazoo had still failed to shoot down the traitor himself. Without Loz at his side, what had been the only use Kadaj had seen in Yazoo? To collect pathetic, naïve little children from around Edge, who had barely presented a challenge in being convinced to be taken to the Forgotten City. His usefulness had paled in comparison to either Kadaj or Loz, there was no denying that.

Had he been the one to perish instead of Kadaj… would their mission have been any worse off than it had been before, when he had believed Loz dead too?

No… that couldn't be the truth, it just couldn't be! Mother would have seen he was just as useful as his other brothers were, right? It would have been a blow to their cause had he died as well, right?

But, in spite of that, against his fervent reasoning that he had served no less of a role than either Kadaj or Loz had, Yazoo would find himself grappling with those thoughts until dawn broke, and they would again set out on their journey. Throughout that time, even when he had rarely done so, he could not help but wish Mother would speak to him again, all so she could answer and assuage the only fear that had ever plagued his mind:

_Mother… Have I really been the least important of us three?_


	15. The Resolute Warrior

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 15**

_The Resolute Warrior_

Time was of no consequence here. Time had no meaning. No night, no day. No sun that rose or set, no hands of a clock that ticked the seconds away. It did not exist at all, yet that mattered little to him. There was no reason for time, no reason for it to exist at all here.

Everything had come to a standstill, save for the flow of his thoughts, it seemed, and still he could not say the world had stopped. He knew not how long he had been here in this timeless void, but he could care less. For all that mattered, if time had no place or impact here, that could only mean he could remain with her in this bliss forever. For eternity.

_Mother… We are together at last._

Like the concept of time, his body had seemed to ceased existing as well. He could smell or taste nothing. He could not see, though he wouldn't say he was blind. He could not physically touch, move, or feel anything, though he had a feeling he wasn't numb or paralyzed. It was as if anything and everything connected to the material world had no place here either.

_Even so, what of it…?_

What reason was there for him to have a body in the first place? There was possible way for anyone to deal him bodily harm then, and he would never be able to experience bodily pain again. There was nothing to cause him any more anguish, misery, sorrow, or anger. All of that had been washed away by this blissful sanctuary, and had also ceased to exist.

No. The only faculties Kadaj needed here were his sense of hearing, to hear Mother's tender voice that constantly, softly, lovingly, whispered to him, and his ability to experience this blissfulness, to feel Mother's presence all around him that cradled him as any mother should.

This, he knew, was all he had ever needed. This was all he and his brothers had ever needed.

How Loz and Yazoo had fared since Kadaj had ascended to this divine plane of existence, he could not determine. Mother, he remembered, had reassured him everyone was waiting for him. But, as that could mean every soul that wandered the Lifestream, with which he had now joined, he could not tell if his brothers were here too in Mother's doting enfold.

He would be glad if they weren't, for then Mother could devote every fiber of her being to him, and only to him. And then, on the other hand… he pitied them if they weren't here, because he knew they had yearned for her as much as he had. Only, he could not find the voice to ask her what become of either of them.

_It really is… such a dismal notion._

That, after all the trio of brothers had done and endeavored to attempt, after all that they had endured and suffered, it had amounted to absolutely nothing. They had all failed Mother, even her dearest son, Sephiroth. They had not been able to fulfill the mission she had set before them. All of that, and they could have been by her side—they could have bypassed all of that trouble—so quickly by way of death.

Here she was, as loving and as devoted as he had always believed her to be, still readily forgiving him after all of his failures and mistakes. She kept him in her arms, an embrace that felt so tight he knew she would never let him go, and he knew this was what she had been promising all along. No pain, no suffering, no loneliness, no torment. Only bliss.

Kadaj was with her, and he was happy. This was all he had ever wanted, and all he ever needed. Nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

Not long after dawn broke, when the sun first began to rise above the horizon and shine over the world below it, Kallie found herself being roused by Aurei, like she had before. Unlike the difficult efforts it had taken to awaken her yesterday morning, however, this time it only took Aurei a couple shakes of her sister's shoulder, and without having to resort to icy fingertips.

Even though she had received a rude awakening from that nightmare (which she had now forgotten), Kallie had gotten enough sleep that she didn't feel as groggy as she usually did upon sitting up, yawning and stretching, grateful that they could have a later start this morning. Far beyond that, though, she had never felt so overjoyed at the beginning of a brand new day, and a fresh new start.

There were not enough clouds that posed a threat in covering up the sun, which promised to be brighter and more glorious than it had been all week. The air was damp with the morning dew, and it was rejuvenating as she breathed it in, letting it back out with a sigh. Already, as she moved about in the slightest motions, the soreness in her muscles from yesterday's fighting and traveling was quite apparent, and yet she smiled with invigoration.

While she was consuming her cold breakfast, however, Kallie asked Aurei where the brothers had gone, since neither Loz nor Yazoo were in the gully campground. Sure enough, she learned that they were out scouting the area for any travelers they might encounter, as well as monsters for Kallie to use as a warm-up before heading into the marshes.

"By the way…" Kallie was quick to make her next inquiry about them. "Did they eat anything before they left?"

"Not that I know of."

Slightly dumbfounded and unnerved, despite her strong suspicions last night, Kallie groaned, rocking back a little. "Man, why the hell aren't they starving by now? They haven't eaten anything since the day before yesterday, I swear!"

Aurei raised one eyebrow a little. "After all that you've seen of them, are you really so shocked?"

Before Kallie could reply, to say that yes, she had deduced long ago they weren't exactly human, she started in surprise when something fell from above and hit the top of her head, spraying out in all directions—it took her a moment to realize it had been a clump of dirt. Cursing, furiously swiping the soil out of her hair while snatching up a chakram, she whirled about to see who the damned perpetrator was, half-expecting to confront an enemy.

Her guess wasn't far off: Yazoo stood at the gully's edge directly above her, looking down upon her with reserved, yet obvious, smugness.

"Unnatural though it appears to be," he said quite plaintively to Kallie, "At least we are not bound by the human's need to eat three times a day. What a hindrance that must be."

Already pissed by the fact he had gotten dirt all over her, including down the back of her shirt and jacket, Kallie's temper soured, falling from the verve she had been soaring on until that point. From where his foot was stationed, Kallie could tell that he must have sent the clump of dirt falling with only a nudge from his boot. Preoccupied with shaking out her clothing and her now-unbraided hair, Kallie did not immediately respond; Yazoo then looked over her to Aurei.

"The way is clear for us," he reported. "Also, there are some monsters northeast of here. I suggest you take care of them before they head too far off, and we waste even more time chasing after them."

"Thank you, Yazoo," replied Aurei, picking up her bags and rising to her feet. "You heard him, Kallie. Stop preening and get moving."

"It's not _preening_," she snapped back under her breath, having just donned her jacket, and was in the middle of braiding her hair again after getting the dirt out of her hair. Seeing Yazoo convey one more expression of arrogant contempt before he turned on his heel and strode off, Kallie muttered, "Just you wait, douche bag."

The only good that came out of that situation, Kallie thought, was that her lingering ire revitalized her vigor from before, albeit from a different angle, and gave her the motivation to kick some monster's ass. The enthusiasm was only curbed by the aches and sores all over, especially in her legs, which became ever more prominent the more mobile she was.

After Aurei had so gracefully jumped out of the gully to the ground above, Kallie was adamant about mirroring her, though could only make it halfway up before needing to cling to the wall and find a foothold so she could clamber the rest of the way up. Thankfully, nobody paid much attention to her when she had heaved herself onto the flat ground of the plains—not even Yazoo, who was looking out towards the rising sun, his hair seeming to gleam golden in the waxing light.

Not far from him sat Loz upon a boulder that protruded from amid all the grass, breaking fragments off the flimsy surface of the rock and crushing it easily into dust between his fingers, out of nothing more than sheer boredom. The sight amused Kallie more than it probably should have; more and more, Loz just looked like a child trapped in a full-grown man's body. It struck her in that moment how opposite Loz and Yazoo were as brothers, both in appearance and personality, and yet they still could work so well together.

Then again, it just as strongly reminded Kallie of what a polar difference there was between her and Aurei, and at first glance it almost appeared improbable that they were biological sisters. Sure, she had been able to pick out similarities between their physical features, but overall Aurei seemed to have inherited more of Mom's feminine beauty, while Kallie realized her more boyish looks were probably derived from their father.

_But, we __**do**__ happen to be 'fire' and 'ice'… How fitting._

When Kallie finally had her feet on solid ground, Aurei had her perform the same rigorous stretching exercises from the previous day, with some advancements, and which made her again see just how inflexible she was. Nevertheless, it did help to ease the soreness in her muscles somewhat, and so she was able to take on the pair of Elfadunks Yazoo had been able to locate for them, albeit with more difficulty than she had after yesterday's successes.

Upon dispatching her assigned Elfadunk, she found herself staring out over what was left of the plains to where it met the Midgar Marshes. As there always seemed to be, a low, thick mist hung over the marshes, some burned away by the strengthening rays of the sun. Yet, there remained enough that it obscured the other side of the marshes, miles and miles away, from view.

Of course, what fed Kallie's adrenaline most of all was finally facing the great and terrible beast that lurked somewhere in the recesses of the marshes—although, just thinking of the enormous serpent, the size of which was more daunting than anything else, her gut nonetheless clenched in anticipating apprehension.

In spite of her exuding confidence that she would reach the other side unscathed, there were more than enough accounts of people of people who had been brutally maimed or killed by the Midgar Zolom that had a lasting impression on her. While she doubted Aurei would not let her die so easily, she could not shake the possibility that she might become one of those unfortunate victims, and it was enough to make anyone quiver in their boots.

But, the apprehension was ever short-lived—when Aurei turned to her and asked if she was ready to do this, Kallie only broadly grinned.

"Hell yeah I am!" And she set off at an exuberant pace towards her fate in that impenetrable mist.

Kallie was so psyched and revved up to finally face this monster, however, that the instant her foot first touched the damp, muddy road, her entire body tensed. It was as if all her senses were perked in anticipation and preparation for a sudden attack from the serpent, and it could burst forth from the murky waters right then and there.

"Relax, Kallie," Aurei spoke up serenely, undoubtedly taking notice of her sister's slightly hyper state. "You don't want to be rigid as a board once the Midgar Zolom strikes. We could encounter it at any time."

Though Kallie merely grunted in response, she ultimately followed her sister's advice and forced herself to calm down, taking slow, deep breaths that made her feel like she was meditating even while she walked onward. Eventually, after a few minutes of steady breathing and pacing herself, she was able to rein in her energy. Pouring it instead into simple concentration on the battle that loomed ahead, she tried to recall all she could of the Midgar Zolom, from both her own prior knowledge, and from what Uncle had told her.

The first and foremost thing was, again, the size of this thing. Head to tail, it was often reputed to be up to five hundred feet in length, and Kallie's mind had a hard time grasping such measurements in a living creature. (With his personal confrontation, though, Uncle had confirmed such reports were true.) Subsequently, it meant that the Zolom possessed formidable strength, and could deal immense damage with either a nasty bite or a vicious tail-swipe.

What everyone told her to watch out for, however, was the Zolom's Beta, the most powerful attack in its arsenal, and which was infamously known to send any and all inexperienced fighters to their deaths in a single hit. Uncle himself had said that, after one of the Zolom's fangs had gouged him across his stomach, Beta would have been the end of him had he not thrown his sword and pierced the creature through the brain, thus ending the battle.

"Let me tell you," Uncle said as he finished his narrative of the encounter. "If you ever come across one of those overgrown garden snakes, make sure it's dead _before_ it can ever use that blasted Beta!"

Kallie, a mere fourteen-year-old at the time, beamed back at him. "You betcha, Uncle! It won't stand a chance!"

Thinking back on that conversation, it was quite ironic that now she would actually be taking that advice seriously, utilizing it in her approaching face-off with the same monster that had also been one of Uncle's first biggest challenges in combat. Not that Uncle had merely meant his account as just an entertaining story about his time in SOLDIER, or that he had been skeptical she would ever encounter that 'overgrown garden snake'—quite the opposite, to be honest.

Things like that, which might appear to be all but plausible, and might never happen in someone's lifetime, suddenly became incredibly possible if Uncle said it was. That optimism of his was what Kallie had always described as being simply 'overflowing', because it was like a well for her whenever doubt or pessimism would take a hold (especially in the past couple of years), and from which she could draw from until she was wholly better again. Even in the days of his Geostigma, Uncle had never seemed diminished, and he had truly made it feel as though nothing could go wrong in the world.

_But… even all that couldn't stop Geostigma from infecting our family… Even when he said he could overcome it, he couldn't save himself from…_ The corners of her mouth trembled. _From…_

The reminiscence stirred within Kallie the grief and misery she had kept buried for so long beneath every emotion she could possibly feel, although it had never surfaced this strongly before. She fought it back, her jaw clenching, her hands balling into fists, and her eyes shutting hard.

Determinedly striding forward, keeping her head ducked down, she distantly heard Aurei saying something to her, probably again admonishing her for not being relaxed enough. She ignored whatever Yazoo said afterwards, for it was more than likely some snide remark about her being unable to keep her emotions in check that she didn't care to listen to. And, she went unmindful of the ripple in the nearby waters that slowly crept towards the party from the left, although there was one unexpected shout that she did pay heed to:

"Kallie, look out!"

Suddenly thrust back into full awareness of her surroundings, and all her prior focus on combat swiftly returning, Kallie rolled forward just in time as the nearby water suddenly exploded upwards, and which would have drenched everybody with its massive wave of marshy mud had they not gotten out of the way in time.

Springing to her feet, she grabbed her chakrams the same time everyone else got their weapons at the ready, although did not immediately focus on what being had so suddenly made its presence known. Instead, she first incredulously turned her gaze on the person who had probably just saved her neck.

_Loz… Did he…?_ She couldn't get her head around those few moments of confusion. _He shouted that warning, didn't he…?_

Before Kallie could acknowledge that favor of his, however, or even thank him as she had actually been thinking of doing, a hiss that sounded more a high-pitched, grating roar came from above, and a shadow fell over her as something blocked what little sunlight filtered through the thick mist. Her heart pounding, knowing she would at last come face to face with what she had been waiting for so eagerly all this time, Kallie looked up—_way_ up—at her highly anticipated foe.

Her first impression was that no report or estimation of what the Midgar Zolom's size was had ever lied—it was, in fact, far larger than what she had ever pictured it to be. It simply boggled her mind that she had to crane her neck and step far back in order to look up properly at this monstrosity, and she still had difficulty fully absorbing its massive proportions and appearance.

While it wasn't poisonous, its enormous, thick body, chiefly brown and tan in color, was similar to that of the most venomous snakes, with skin that extended out in either direction from its neck like a hood. The Midgar Zolom also seemed to be blind, for there were only fleshy swirls of skin where the eyes should have been, yet whatever it lacked in sight it could compensate with its forked tongue that repeatedly shot out and tasted their scent in the air, flicking its tails with all the eagerness of a bloodthirsty hunter.

"Thinking of turning back yet, girl?" floated Yazoo's soft, yet jeering voice from where he stood a few yards away, his gun raised.

Instead of being afflicted by anger, as Kallie normally was when one of Yazoo's taunts was aimed towards her, she merely smirked, whatever queasiness she felt eradicated by her burning thirst to prove herself.

"Me, turning back now?" she shot back at him, throwing up one chakram and catching it again before going into a battle-ready pose. "Not on your damned life."

Then, much faster than she would have anticipated, the oversized snake lunged for the party, and the battle began. That first assault was aimed at Yazoo, though the silver-haired man nimbly dodged, somersaulting over its head before the creature knew where its intended victim had disappeared to, and then leapt off its neck in a single bound.

While it seemed that would have been the perfect opportunity to land a perfect shot, Kallie was surprised when he landed behind the creature without dealing any damage. Neither had the other two combatants, both merely jumping back into more strategic positions on the battlefield, but it was then Kallie immediately realized they were giving her the chance at the first strike. How very kind of them, because that was just what she wanted.

At once, Kallie dashed straight towards the monster. From within her, stemming forth from her confidence, that incredible sense of familiarity was already beginning to take over, possessing her at an even quicker rate than it had yesterday. Alien though it still felt, she could only welcome it with open arms; after all the battles it had helped her win yesterday, it could only mean there was yet even more triumph ahead.

_And this bastard isn't gonna get in my way!_

Evidently sensing Kallie's approach, the Midgar Zolom whipped its gargantuan bulk about to face in her direction, pulling its head back to make another lunging bite. But, Kallie hurled one chakram at her attacker and struck the Zolom's neck, keeping its assault at bay. Hissing with pain, the creature reared as Kallie took several sidesteps and whirled once to catch her chakram, releasing the other just as her fingers clasped around the handle of the first. For a joyous second time, her aim was true and her second chakram cut the serpent's neck on the other side, earning her another hiss of anguish.

Deep though the gouges were, however, they were only mere scratches for such a large creature, and Kallie knew better than to think she was anywhere near victory, especially when the Midgar Zolom, after another angry hiss, rose high into the air. The height of its head above the ground astounded Kallie even more then, for she had to stretch her head back even farther if she wanted to keep an eye on what the hell it was planning to do next. Once it went into that stance, though, Kallie knew it could only mean that it was about to utilize one of its more drastic attacks.

Under every intent to heed her Uncle's advice and not let it use that 'blasted Beta', Kallie raced to reclaim her chakram, barely catching it on the tips of her fingers before it might have hit the swampy ground. In that timeframe, Aurei became the target of the serpent's next lunge, yet she was able to repel it back with a simple Ice spell. It still wasn't enough to fell the creature, making it ever more apparent the battle was to be prolonged just for Kallie to garner more experience.

"You were fine there, but remember not to leave yourself open again when you're retrieving a chakram," Aurei said, upon landing close enough to Kallie just to give her that one reprimand. "The most foolhardy thing you can do in battle is to allow the enemy even a single vulnerability."

Naturally, Kallie hadn't thought she would endure this fight without at least one reprimand from her sister, but she still felt so self-assertive that she lightheartedly brushed it aside.

"They're not gonna get any vulnerabilities outta me!"

With that, she launched herself into the fray again, although did not immediately strike at the Zolom that had risen back up into the air. Instead, while it seemed to be picking between Aurei, Yazoo, or Loz, the latter it had not attacked yet, Kallie took the opportunity to circle around the great mass of the serpent's body. While the Zolom was still snapping at the three other combatants, Kallie in the meantime had successfully managed to get behind the monster, or at least until she could see the back of its seemingly unprotected head that was still high up above her. Having no doubts she could strike such a target from so far away, she was fully prepared to fling a chakram, intending to even attach a Fire spell to her weapon this time, and almost did not get out of harm's when the bulk of the Zolom's body suddenly thrashed towards her.

Given only a split second to react, she just barely managed leaped over the Zolom's back, her legs swinging up above her in a forward flip. Yet, it was while she was in midair that she saw the _perfect_ opportunity to land a blow, and she grinned, not delaying one instant in slicing across its back with both chakrams in hand. At hearing the Zolom give a particularly piercing hiss, there was no denying how her grin widened with satisfaction when her feet touched the ground, nor was there no denying the incredible mass that smashed into her from behind.

Kallie really could say for once that she didn't know what hit her; the shock from the blow was so immense her nervous system seemed to short out for a few seconds. She was barely aware that she had lost her grip on both of her chakrams, or that her body hit the ground twice before she rolled to a stop nearly twenty feet away, although that was when her senses finally caught up with everything that had just happened.

Clutching at her back that had received the brunt of the Midgar Zolom's tail-swipe, she tried to gasp with pain, but the wind had been completely driven from her lungs. Struggling to reclaim even one little breath and rise back to her feet, she was at least able to roll back over to see that the Zolom was still facing pointedly in her direction. Even as she watched, endeavoring to make her body move, the serpent then did one motion it had not yet done before: it lowered its great head and neck, its upper body completely tense, frozen in place as if in concentration…

A pang of fear suddenly struck her, and her eyes widened. _Is it… about to…?_

Her fear was almost immediately confirmed.

"It's about to use Beta!"

Even as she cried that warning, Aurei was racing towards Kallie, her chain-sickle clutched tight in one hand and the other extended out before her in preparation to cast Shield, hell-bent on protecting her sister as fast as she could—yet there was still something swifter even than she. The only thing Kallie registered before one of Aurei's legs blocked her view was an azure blur that streaked towards the Midgar Zolom, and all she heard next was a vicious hiss, a cry as if in great exertion, then a resounding, sickening crack.

A mere second later, Aurei's Shield spell flashed into existence around her and Kallie, but there seemed to be absolutely no need for it whatsoever after all. In place of the overwhelming power of Beta crashing down upon them, the Midgar Zolom instead was swaying slightly on the spot, its head bobbing forward and its lower jaw dangling limply open, a lot more open than it should be. Moments after Loz landed in a half crouch, the creature toppled sideways and hit the ground, the impact as tremulous as an earthquake.

Everyone allowed a short while to pass as the marshes settled around them again and peace to pervade once more, all eyes fixed on the massive body that had fallen across the path they had just traversed. Blood spewed from the many gashes that Kallie had managed to deal, as well as from between its broken jaws that lay abnormally open, its long, forked tongue limp upon the earth. By this time, Aurei had cancelled her Shield spell and was walking towards the defeated Zolom, though she was still holding her sickle-chain at the ready.

"Is it actually dead?" she asked, coming to a wary stop a couple of yards away and scrutinizing it quite closely, ready to spring away if it suddenly decided to get back up.

That inquiry was soon answered: at once, Yazoo raised Velvet Nightmare and fired through the roof of its enormous mouth. A shudder ran the length of the serpent's body, accompanied by a gurgled hiss, and then the monster was really still this time.

"There we go." Holstering the gun, Yazoo turned away from the creature, not giving one glance back.

Not far away, Kallie had at last managed to catch enough of her breath that she could stand, albeit not without experiencing further pain. Groaning, doubling over, she attempted to place a hand on her back, but couldn't exactly reach the upper part of her body where the Zolom's tail had stricken her. Still, given how hard that blow that been, she was surprised it hadn't left her paralyzed, let alone without even a shattered bone or two, but she was pretty certain she would be seeing a nice huge bruise there later.

"Someone's back on their feet," commented Aurei, her chain-sickle already back in its coil on her belt as she strode back towards Kallie, picking up one of her chakrams on the way. "Feeling better already?"

"Just _wonderful_, like I got hit by a damn tank." As Aurei handed back over the chakram, she tried to straighten up to accept it, and then suddenly doubled over again, her hands on her knees as she groaned once more. "Shit, that hurt…"

"Are you too injured to go on?"

Instead of it sounding like an expression of concern, though, Aurei actually seemed a little reproachful. The words were also too much of an echo of Yazoo's jeer before the battle had begun, a battle which Kallie knew she had definitely lost, and immediately she found the strength to keep going until the next inevitable encounter with a Midgar Zolom.

Taking a deep breath, Kallie finally rose back to her full height, experiencing no repercussions this time as she did so, and accepted the chakram her sister was still holding out to her. Grunting her thanks, she attached that one to her belt, then looked about for its partner. Catching a glimpse of reddish-brown lying amid the mud and sparse, low-lying vegetation, she at once went to retrieve it. While she was brushing the muck off of it, however, Yazoo passed by her.

"You have no right to complain about pain," he said coolly to her, Loz starting to follow him then. "You didn't sit around for a week—or fight—with a broken rib."

His scorn made Kallie bristle, only amplified by the spurts of pain that still emanated from her back: just _how_ could Yazoo keep finding all these points against her? Yet again, here was something he said that she well knew he was right about, and couldn't find a retort for no matter how hard she thought about it. It really was probably best that she just hold her tongue at times like these, but that was always easier said than done: the complaints just popped out of her mouth before she could think about it.

Still, couldn't _anyone_ around her muster even an ounce of sympathy or compassion for the shit she was being forced to endure right now? Just have _someone_ be more understanding about her situation and how damn difficult it was for her? Not even Aurei was acting sympathetic, only seeming to be getting even harsher and stricter the more her training progressed. Loz was hardly any better, for all he ever did was either demand things of her, call her weak, or—

_Or save my life._

It hit Kallie so suddenly that her head popped up to stare at Loz's back as he walked away from her, scratching at an itch behind his neck. Now, Kallie couldn't outright assume that Loz had snapped the Midgar Zolom's jaws open just to save _her_—but he _had_ been the one to alert her when the serpent had first surfaced, hadn't he? If it weren't for that, she might not have even been able to complain about pain in the first place…

Yet, was she about to openly admit she owed a freak like him her life?

For a few seconds more, Kallie grappled with that thought, and then purposely strode towards Loz without further hesitation. Her back panged immensely in protest with every decisive stride she took, yet she would not let her pain best her. Once she was level with him, she cleared her throat quite audibly, and Loz's head promptly snapped towards her with evident surprise.

"Hey, Loz," she said, actually managing a half-genuine smile at him. "I just wanna say thanks for you having saved my neck back there—twice, and I probably wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you. I owe you one for that."

Expectedly, Yazoo had glanced back over his shoulder at her the moment she began speaking to Loz, and just as expectedly, Loz looked to him for ideas on a proper response. But, his brother turned away without a word, and Loz was left to think of the reply himself. Moments passed in silence, save for their squelching footfalls in the marshes' mud while Loz continued to ponder, rubbing the back of his neck again, and then merely shrugged.

"It's… It's nothing. Just didn't wanna see you get killed."

"As do none of us." Aurei came up on Kallie's other side, her expression nearly indiscernible as she scrutinized her sister. "Are you certain you're well enough to participate in another battle with a Midgar Zolom?"

"I'm certain," Kallie assured her, then added with a rueful laugh, "Compared to breaking a rib, I should be doing just _fine_, eh?"

Ahead of them, Yazoo uttered a faint scoff, but Kallie was quite sure she had heard Loz snort, and it just made her grin a little more widely back at her sister. As usual, Aurei showed no signs of amusement, only frowning slightly at her.

"If that's the case…" Aurei finally tore her gaze away. "Then I suggest that, in addition to your powers, you start using your other materia against the Midgar Zolom."

"Yeah, that could've really helped."

What Kallie didn't broach, of course, was that she was probably at fault too, for she had wanted to access her powers and magic without having to worry about other materia too… not to mention her desire to prove that she could do this on her own steam. Truthfully, though, she did feel rather eager to finally be using other sorts of spells, aside from her fire magic, as well.

During her various breaks in their journey yesterday, she had managed to figure out what the rest of her materia were, notably without Yazoo's help, as well as having devised exactly how she might equip them. In times such as these, Kallie was quite grateful for the many times she had fervently pressed Uncle to teach her more about the ways of battle, for she had clung to his every tip or piece of advice, and could mostly recall them even now. Strange how things had worked out like that—as if life had endeavored to make certain she was still somehow prepared for the chaos that awaited in her future.

_Really, the more and more I think about all the weird stuff that's happened to me in the past…_ mused Kallie as she pulled her case of materia out from her backpack, _the more I'm starting to think it's not accidental or coincidental at all… Like it's been planned all along._

_I wonder, Uncle…_ Shifting her bag onto her back again, she opened up the case of materia to examine the cluster of orbs inside, although did not immediately begin to strategize how she might implement them. _What do you think of me taking up the mantle of battle now? Are you proud of me for what I have to do? Worried? Ashamed, even?_

No, he would have never felt ashamed—only if she had chosen to cower in Edge and forsake her beloved cousin would he ever have been disappointed in her. Even if he could somehow see who she was with, she doubted he would have even batted an eye upon learning she had allied with two silver-haired villains. Just as long as she didn't get _too_ involved with their plans, he would have been perfectly okay with them tagging along, for he would have understood it was a necessity if she wished to ever rescue May.

_How I wish you could be the one to help me get her back…_

But, when it had gradually dawned upon Kallie that Uncle's Geostigma was to be terminal, she knew she would have to take on all the responsibilities of raising a child and keeping a household. While she had had a large share in them all her life… once he had gone, the entire difficulty of it all had crashed down upon her, and almost became more than she could handle. More than once, she had just wanted her life to end, to just be free of the uncertainty, the suffering, the torment, especially when May herself had contracted that damn disease…

In the end, though, Kallie would always manage to pull herself back onto her feet with what inner strength she could muster. No matter what, she had chosen to never give up on May, to keep their bonds as cousins as strong as it could possibly be, and to make sure it would stay that way until the end. Even when that blessed, miraculous rain had eradicated the Geostigma, Kallie had vowed to never let that tenacity falter. With Uncle's passing, the duty of caring for her cousin had fallen completely onto her shoulders, and she willingly accepted it.

Her family was something she had learned to never take for granted, and she was willing to do everything in her power to keep what remained of it together. Sacrificing her own life to save May would be more than a worthy cause—only, because she couldn't bear the thought of possibly leaving May behind, Kallie knew she had to do what she could to ensure she would stay alive. They had both promised Uncle that they would always look after each other, and Kallie wasn't about to let that promise be broken.

She would never be able to forgive herself if she did.

* * *

Why Loz had bothered to save Kallie's life those two times he still couldn't say. In fact, he hadn't really given it much thought at first until Kallie personally thanked him for it, and now he couldn't stop wondering about it while they walked onward, Yazoo now the one in the lead. His explanation to Kallie had been an honest response, for he really didn't want to see her get killed, but the bigger question was _why_ he felt such protectiveness. The only possibility that he kept coming back to was that he really did see her as an ally, and not as a mere object of interest that Yazoo perceived her as.

_It's weird to think about…_ he admitted as he glanced back at Kallie, who happened to be watching out for another Midgar Zolom attack, and therefore didn't see him staring. _There're two more people I wanna protect too._

Before all of this had happened, his brothers were the only ones he would have even considered to defend from harm, and all other lives appeared diminutive in comparison. Not that he still didn't think that way, since he could care less about the lives of people he never knew or who got in the way of Mother's plans.

Like Yazoo, however, he did have to admit that he hadn't been able to see how Kallie could possibly be of assistance, at first. From what Yazoo had told him of her, and what he had seen with his own eyes… Kallie hadn't quite fitted that bill. Like Yazoo, he too had wondered how Mother had come to recommend her—yet with what he had witnessed thus far, he thought he was beginning to see how. While he hadn't taken much interest in her battles initially, or only as a source of amusement, once she had won her first truly successful victory over those Kalm Fangs yesterday, he began to regard her more seriously. As everyone else had, he too had seen a different person standing in Kallie's place, and little by little, that person seemed to surface more and more every other battle that followed.

But, in spite of those advancements, once he had spotted Kallie in grave danger from the Zolom, it struck him that she still was so vulnerable. Somehow, because Mother had said herself they were invaluable as allies, he couldn't stand the thought of one of them being killed. When the next Midgar Zolom made its abrupt appearance, bursting forth from the waters as its predecessor had done to challenge those who had intruded into its territory, he really did feel concerned about Kallie. No one—not even her sister—had bothered to heal her wounded back, and yet she still looked fiercely determined to face off against the newcomer.

If only Loz knew about the resolve that drove her spirit onward, however, he just might understand why.

Of course, it wasn't as if Kallie wasn't thinking along the same lines as Loz was: she too was worried about the injury dealt by the previous Midgar Zolom, as she was afraid that it might impede her fighting ability to a certain degree. Yet, while it did hurt to move her shoulders and flex her spine, the pain wasn't agonizing enough to prevent her from participating.

Plus, she had spent the past few hours equipping her materia in the best arrangement possible in her chakrams, with suggestions from her fellow travelers—even Loz and Yazoo, and she had tested them out for herself. Already, using them felt quite natural, almost as natural as using the materia within her felt, and it invigorated her enough that the pain from her back was lessened. Hence, as the new Zolom stared them down, its forked tongue flickering out from between its closed jaws, Kallie was fully prepared to accept its challenge.

_For you, Uncle._ Drawing out her chakrams, she took her battle stance. _And for you, May!_

When Kallie launched herself at the monster, however, with Aurei following suit, something seemed to warn her that this one was even smarter and more experienced than the previous serpent. As if it had faced warriors like its opponents before, it seemed to be able to anticipate almost every move of theirs, dodging with much swifter reflexes that altogether made it harder to hit even in spite of its immense size.

For example, it actually leaned out of the way to avoid Kallie's thrown chakram, and when Aurei had dashed in to slash at its neck, she had to jump away again moments before it snapped at the place where she had been. Only Loz, with his inhuman speed, had been able to lay a blow on the creature, and he too had to leap far back to avoid the Zolom's retaliation as it hissed in pain. The difficulty of the monster really was the least of Kallie's worries while she caught her chakram and prepared to strike again, until she saw the level of concern etched on Aurei's face.

"I had hoped we wouldn't run into one of these," said Aurei when she had come close enough for Kallie to hear her, warily keeping an eye on the serpent while it attempted to strike Yazoo. "The more experienced ones are few and far between, but even I was almost killed by one in the early days of my training."

"Am I supposed to let that stop me?" growled Kallie, trying to spot an opening when the serpent made another lunge for Yazoo and missed yet again. Yet, no vulnerability was to be seen, for it continually kept its blind spot shielded by that dreaded forked tail. "We can take it down with all of us here, can't we?"

"Sure we can, if we use our heads." Aurei's expression was quite admonishing as she glanced at Kallie. "Would you happen to have a strategy in mind?"

That Kallie did. Gone were the times when she was going to simply rush at a monster with little to no thinking at all beforehand, for she was so damn tired of getting her ass whipped every time for a foolhardy blunder. No, she had learned from her mistakes, and she wasn't about to let them be repeated.

"Yeah." But at the idea of being like a commander, of having the ability to direct her comrades' actions, a thrill shot through her, and Kallie smirked. "Think you can somehow use your chain to prevent it from biting us?"

"Of course." When the Midgar Zolom suddenly swiveled its head towards them, both sisters braced themselves simultaneously. "Hurry! Any other ideas?"

"Can you tell Loz to take one side while I take the other?"

Aurei gave her a sidelong look. "You're unable to tell him that yourself?"

"Just do it!" Kallie took a step forward, prepared to tap into the power of her materia. Seeing how Loz had been able to hit it had given her an idea. "I've gotta do something else, and I can't get sidetracked."

Her sister nodded. "Very well, then. Anything to ask of Yazoo?"

Kallie sighed. "Don't even bother."

And with that, as the Zolom rapidly slithered towards them, the two sisters dove apart. Before her feet would even touch the ground, though, Kallie at once reached for the magic within her Time materia and cast a Haste spell upon herself.

While she had experienced the effects of Haste for a short time beforehand in a test run, the tangible notion that time itself could be altered took some getting used to. Her actions seemed to move at the same pace as usual, and it was if she was the only one who remained unchanged, not the rest of the world: everything and everyone else but her moved at a much slower speed. As it was it indeed was much easier to see just how her comrades and the Midgar Zolom moved in battle, she could not help but allow herself a few moments to watch it all with great fascination.

Just as she had asked, Aurei was hastening towards Loz, and once she had reached him, her lips slowly moving as she informed him of Kallie's request. Her words were just as slow as her movements and thus indistinct, but she knew he heeded her command when he nodded and then took off to the Zolom's side opposite. For a few seconds then, he suddenly started moving at the same speed as she did, surrounded by an azure light as he leapt to his assigned position, until the glow left him and he became slow to her again.

Seeing with satisfaction that Loz, and Aurei soon after, were both obeying her order, she found herself looking for Yazoo, curious what he was doing with no instructions to follow, and she spotted him slowly landing some distance away. He was either unmindful or uncaring that Kallie hadn't included him in her commands, for all he was focused on was that enormous serpent.

Yet, as she watched him slowly straighten to his full height, she could not help but take note of the small things she usually missed during the frenzied, fast pace of battle. Almost always, Yazoo's posture remained perfectly straight, like an archer, and the grace with which he moved was continuously effortless, never expending more energy than he needed to. She again observed the small, but nevertheless curious, detail that he was left-handed, like his brother.

Once her gaze turned to his face, however, it was that which suddenly captivated her the most. In contrast to when he usually looked so indifferent and detached from the world around him, for once his features were _alive_ with the heat of battle as his silver tresses fell back into place around his face, his eyes gleaming even more of an emerald green than usual as they watched the Zolom's every move.

Still, Kallie knew that, with what she was witnessing, she couldn't forget the only thing that it could mean about him: whatever the hell he was, he had been built to be a warrior, and only just a warrior. He nor Loz cared for nothing more beyond the battlefield, a fact that was to be respected—and yet still, she could not help but revere how positively striking he was in that moment.

Then, Kallie saw his eyes flit towards her, and then she cursed when she abruptly remembered the task she had set out to do. Maybe she had only paused for a mere few seconds, but they were still seconds that were not to be wasted! What the hell had she been thinking, letting herself get distracted like that?

With another curse, she took a readier grip on her chakrams and charged at the Zolom, super-fast to everyone else. At the speed she moved, the Midgar Zolom wasn't able to defend itself fast enough against her assault, and so Kallie slashed at the great creature as many times as she possibly could. On its other side, Loz had utilized his superhuman speed once more and dealt another punch that almost threw the serpent into Kallie had she not leapt back in time.

But, as if to track her movements, the Zolom's tongue flicked out to taste the air and its head snapped abruptly to where Kallie landed before it. Not wanting to risk getting hit, as fast as she was now, she had just prepared to leap back over to where she had stationed herself when Aurei suddenly jumped up right in the monster's face. The moment it opened its maw to bite her, she immediately took advantage of that opportunity and lassoed its top jaw with her chain, jerking it back as she flipped over its head.

The chain, however, wasn't long enough to entirely encircle the great girth of its jaw, and even Aurei could only hang on for a short while until she had to relinquish her hold, before the serpent could toss her away. Nevertheless, Kallie had still seen enough of an opening for her to strike again at close range and was able to get a few more hits in.

Confident as she was in her newfound speed, the moment she saw the Zolom lunging towards her, she immediately leapt backwards. Although, even as he made to evade that vicious bite, Kallie could not help but notice that its massive jaws seemed to be approaching her with gradually increasing speed, as was the rest of its body, and it took her just a few moments to realize, with a sudden sharp pang of dread, exactly why.

_Oh shit_.

Had her Haste spell worn off a second sooner, one of the Zolom's giant fangs might have gone straight through Kallie's head, but she still only jump backed so far before an excruciating pain suddenly burst forth from her left forearm. Crying out with pain, the chakram her left hand had held dropped to the ground the same time her right knee did, Kallie endeavoring not to let go of the other weapon even while spears of agony rocketed through her body.

For many long seconds, Kallie was terrified to even glance at her forearm to see the extent of the injury that the Midgar Zolom had dealt her—it felt like the limb itself had been severed off. Still, somehow, she mustered the courage to look down at what the serpent's fang had done to her, and while she was grateful to find her arm was more or less in one piece, she was so weary she couldn't recoil at what she did see.

It was a short, yet deep, wound, a sizable gouge from which blood streamed out of and down her arm. Seeing such a chunk out of her own body made her sick to her stomach, and she simply wanted to faint at the sight, to never have to look at it again, but she couldn't. The Zolom was right there, about to attack, its head cocked in that strange position as if deep in focus. Someone yelled her name, yet she couldn't distinguish who it was. She had to get out of the way, but her body was in such shock she couldn't move.

That was, until a powerful, burning heat unlike anything she had felt before swept through her body, incinerating the pain that wracked and immobilized her. The experience was so rejuvenating and uplifting that, for a few moments, she felt transported back to that very first incident when she had first felt that fiery sensation, as she had rushed to save her dear cousin from that cursed Whole Eater—only this time it was even stronger than before.

Eagerly, she latched onto that surge of energy, for it was her only shred of hope she had when a high-pitched screech reverberated through the air, and a blinding flash of white followed…

The Midgar Zolom had cast its formidable Beta, and the slowly swirling mass of scarlet energy was born into existence, radiating an intense heat that they could all feel even though they had evaded the worst of the attack. Yet, it left Aurei horrorstruck. As far as she had been able to see, her sister had not been able to get out of the way, and while she might just be strong enough to hang on, she could only be left in serious, critical condition. Even then, the chances of her survival were slim.

_How… could I let this happen?_ Aurei berated herself for not having been fast enough. She could have prevented this, she could have.

The moment that the Beta attack subsided, and the red haze surrounding it had vanished, Aurei immediately darted forward, to get to her sister's side as fast as she possibly could to apply the proper curative, whether it had to be Curaga or a Phoenix Down… But, Aurei had only taken a few steps forward when she abruptly stopped in her tracks, stunned, because Kallie was nowhere to be seen.

_What… on all the Planet…?_

Before Aurei could panic further, before she could be struck with the terrible thought her sister's body had been obliterated, a wavering orange light fell over them as if a giant lantern shone from above. All three comrades looked up at the exact same time to see none other than Kallie high, high up in the air above them, clearly at the full height of a massive leap she had made.

What was even more significant, however, was the fact that her entire body was encased in fire, and bore no signs she had even been singed by the Zolom's Beta. While blood could still be seen flying from her arm, by no means did it appear to hinder her as she raised both of her chakrams above her head before flinging them simultaneously at the serpent.

The chakrams' flight patterns were practically identical, almost mirror images of each other even when they struck home on either side of the beast's brow. That wasn't the end of Kallie's assault: as she continued to fall gracefully towards the Midgar Zolom while its jaws were open in a silent hiss, a globular mass of flame formed between her hands, shaping into an enormous fireball that she immediately blasted at the serpent.

This time, as its entire upper body was set alight, the Midgar Zolom gave a shrieking hiss that rattled the eardrums of everyone who heard it, an agonized cry much like that of the Kalm Fang and the Whole Eater when they had experienced the fury of Kallie's fire. It wasn't to shriek for long, however, before Kallie mercifully put it out of its misery. Landing upon the Zolom's flaming head, she wrenched her chakrams out, back-flipped, and with a mighty cry sliced all the way down its body until she hit the ground in a crouch.

Mere seconds later, its body still aflame, the great serpent collapsed to one side, the earth shuddering even more beneath the impact of its enormous bulk. Steam rose and hissed where the flaming part of its length came in contact with the murky waters and damp earth, the crackling sounds of the fire all that broke the silence.

While Yazoo and Aurei put away their weapons, the latter thoroughly relieved nothing worse had befallen her sister, Loz in the meantime had gone over to where Kallie still stood, panting, watching her fire continuing to eat away at the Midgar Zolom's remains. Sparing himself a moment to see a burst of sparks pop from its head, he turned towards Kallie, a little disbelieving at what he was about to admit.

"Hey," he said to her, trying to keep his voice earnest and not awkwardly uncertain, and Kallie slowly looked at him. "Um, glad you got outta that okay. You're stronger than I—"

At that moment, however, Loz gave a start of alarm when Kallie suddenly groaned and abruptly sunk to her knees. Her weapons dropped from her hands as she clamped one over the gouge in her left forearm, while Loz just stood there next to her, unsure of exactly what he wanted to do. Instantly, Aurei's hurried footfalls sped towards them, followed by Yazoo's much more nonchalant pace, although they hadn't quite reached them before Kallie looked up at Loz with a pained smile.

"By 'okay', you mean I at least didn't get my head bitten off." Her voice was plaintively strained and faint, and then her head suddenly bowed over her chest. "But a Potion still sounds pretty good right about now."

"Just hold on, Kallie," spoke up Aurei from behind them, coming to a stop on Kallie's other side. "Stay conscious. Resist the urge to black out before I can cast Cure."

Beads of sweat were now starting to form on her forehead, her skin quite pallid from the pain and the loss of blood, and Kallie grimly nodded as a wave of lightheadedness washed over her. Thankfully having a Cure materia equipped already, Aurei extended a palm towards her sister's wound, preparing to delve into the magic to cast Cura when, at that moment, a single, softly spoken word drifted towards them.

"Wait."

Pausing abruptly, Aurei glanced back at the speaker, about to admonish him for having dared to intervene when her sister was in such desperate need of healing, until flames suddenly burst into life around Kallie. Startled, both she and Loz immediately jumped back to avoid being scorched by the unexpected fire, and Kallie gave a gasp of surprise, her arms flying up above her head as if to protect herself.

Yet, it was with incredulity that she lowered them back down till her hands were at eye level, staring in wonder at her skin and clothes that were completely unscathed by the fire swirling around her. In fact, the fire felt as refreshing and stimulating as the heat that had surged through her and gave her the ability to perform her limit break.

Already, the fire had served to alleviate the aches, pains, and sores that plagued her, but it went far beyond that too. At the same time Kallie felt the injury on her back disappear, she watched with a sort of morbid fascination as the deep gouge on her forearm began to mend itself before her very eyes. Every last bit of blood vanished as if incinerated, while the skin slowly patched and merged itself back into place, closing the wound until there was nothing to be seen of it.

_No… way…_

As the fire at last dwindled and disappeared around her, her gaze was still locked on the place where her dire injury had been, even unable to recall exactly what it had looked like. Still gazing incredulously, she flexed her arm and waved it about in the air, clenching and unclenching her hand to test the muscles. Then, with sudden great vigor she got to her feet, amazed at the sense of well-being that now filled her. Hell, she felt even better than she had earlier that morning, for even the soreness in her muscles had gone.

But, while Aurei and Loz exchanged looks with each other, Kallie had turned about to face the person who had so generously healed her. His feline eyes did not immediately make contact with hers right away, for they were too busy scrutinizing her left forearm, his brow furrowing slightly before Yazoo at last dispassionately met her gaze, and they merely stared at each other for a few moments.

"Y'know, I think Aurei had that completely under control," Kallie said to him finally, blinking, still rather nonplussed at what he had just done for her. "But gee, thanks."

Though his face barely changed from its blank slate, laughter appeared in Yazoo's eyes. "Don't jump to conclusions, I wasn't doing a favor for you. I was merely… confirming a suspicion of mine."

Kallie sighed and rolled her eyes blatantly for him to see; she shouldn't have expected anything less.

"Although, it's still a good thing that he did that, for now you can see what it's like when you're healed by Fire magic," Aurei spoke up. In the meantime, Loz kept looking Kallie up and down with widened eyes, as if trying to spot that she had received the slightest scalding. "Just a warning, however. As Elemental magic is meant to be offensive magic, its healing properties are quite unruly compared to real curative spells. A wound may not be healed properly."

Hence, just to make certain, Aurei then cast a regular Cure spell upon Kallie, who found it rather unnecessary, as she felt little change in her current health. After scanning Kallie to ensure that all ailments had truly been eradicated, Aurei continued with her short lecture.

"Nevertheless, while I strongly suggest you do it sparingly… If you have suffered a critical wound without healing magic or supplies on hand, you can certainly use your own magic to heal yourself, as well as Fire spells from other people."

Aurei's latter words were obviously quite directed towards Yazoo, who now definitely appeared disdainful.

"Perhaps, but don't count on it." Turning away then, he proceeded along the muddy path before them. "I have no interest in becoming a healer."

"Really? I thought you would be all too willing," responded Aurei, with a touch of sarcasm.

After Aurei checked up on Kallie's condition one last time, she and the other two followed in Yazoo's wake. While she congratulated Kallie on having slain such a difficult monster and performing her first limit break, Loz hastened his steps to catch up with his brother. All the while, however, he found himself glancing back at Kallie more than once, for he knew for certain then that he truly thought of her as a competent warrior and—more importantly—as a valuable ally. Yet, even Loz wouldn't have been able to guess that Yazoo himself was thinking along those lines.

There was just one exception: save for his brothers, Yazoo considered no one to be his ally, and only led them into thinking such so that they would continue to be useful to him. That was just the thing, however, because the orange-haired girl had become one of those people to him, like her sister was. He had exploited her once before, yes, but with merely the intention of tossing her aside and never seeing her again. It was only because of Mother he had agreed to let her come along, remaining constantly dubious that she could be of any worth… until now.

At last, Yazoo believed he had seen the evidence he needed to prove Kallie's value to their cause, and solidify Mother's reasoning. Indeed, it had begun to show itself starting with her sound victory against the Kalm Fangs yesterday, and continued to surface little by little with every battle afterwards that she fought. By testing her body with the Fire spell, he saw for himself just how far from being a human she really was. Her prowess wasn't entirely consistent, yet he had observed that she grew stronger every time, developing more and more into that warrior Yazoo briefly glimpsed at times. Nonetheless… he simply had not been expecting such a huge jump in her abilities, as she had demonstrated so profoundly against that Midgar Zolom.

_So, she really has possessed that power all along…_ As far as Yazoo could tell, Mother had been correct, and he had been wrong to doubt her. Yet, he felt no shame over his misgivings; he had merely needed to see it to believe it, and he had.

If only Kallie knew what was on Yazoo's mind, she might have finally felt that she had fulfilled her goal to impress him. Yet, knowing well he would not easily admit to that, she was nevertheless confident that she had done enough to make an impact of some sort; she knew she had with Loz, at the very least. But, if there was one thing that kept her pride aloft, it was the thought of one person:

_Uncle, I did it, I really did it. I beat a Midgar Zolom just like you did._ Kallie was so giddy with her achievement she could have burst out laughing. _Man, it was so awesome, I wish you could've seen me! _

He would have been so proud that she was following in his footsteps.


	16. Mishap In The Mines

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 16**

_Mishap In The Mines_

After a couple more hours of traveling, and after a third run-in with one of those overgrown garden snakes, the group had just achieved a sound victory over that Midgar Zolom when a low rumbling sound thudded through the foggy air. In the middle of reattaching her chakrams to her belt, Kallie glanced around quizzically for the source of the thunderous noise, somewhat softened by the thick mist around them, and saw her companions doing the same. While Yazoo was the first to identify it, though, Kallie had recognized it an instant beforehand, and much more quickly than she had the first time she had heard it yesterday.

"Sounds like the Shinra helicopter has returned," noted Yazoo, his face turned upwards to where the sky was hidden by the fog. Even he, with his acute hearing, could not pinpoint exactly where the noise was coming from, although it sounded as though it was going overhead, heading south in the exact direction they were traveling.

"I'm sure there's more than just that one helicopter in the skies right now," Aurei pointed out, coiling her chain-sickle back up. "If it is them, though, I doubt they'll be able to see us through all this fog."

"But they're heading the same way we're going," Loz added, catching on to the same observation Yazoo had made, and he actually seemed a little worried even as the sounds faded away. "What if… they found out we're still around?"

"You're more perceptive than I thought, Loz." Her ghost of a compliment made Loz blink in surprise. "But, whatever makes you say that? No one outside of this group but my father should know of your existence still, right?"

"No, there was Brother…" he said slowly, trying to think back on who else might have seen them in the past few days. "But, we killed 'im…" He gulped. "I think."

"Brother?" repeated Aurei, actually sounding surprised. "Is he another sibling you have?"

"He's… sorta like family."

Scratching the back of his neck, he found it in himself to start explaining who Brother was and what he had to do with them, trying to tell Aurei about him in the manner Yazoo certainly would have used. In fact, he attempted to shape his explanation like what Yazoo had told Kallie the other night while Aurei listened, interjecting a question on occasion. Surprisingly, Yazoo was saying nothing against it, only that was because everyone else had failed to see the gaze he fixated on an unwary Kallie, which soon hardened into a glare.

"Yet, there _were_ others who saw us," he said, loud enough to interrupt Loz, causing both he and Aurei to look over and see his frigid stare at the orange-haired girl. Realizing he was speaking to her, Kallie spun about to meet his eyes that were nothing short of accusative, and she immediately glowered back at him.

"What?" she snapped, putting her hands on her hips indignantly. "What're you looking at me for?"

Even as that retort left her tongue, however, she knew in the next instant exactly what he might be talking about, and she received his usual reproach for her initial ignorance.

"That day you came to me in the church, there was that girl with you." He took on a menacing air as he advanced on her, clearly not about to let her forget her blunder. "And then, when you took me to your apartment later, I counted five others who caught a glimpse of us."

At that, Kallie felt her affront waver, knowing he had spoken the truth. True, she had forgotten about that, and it plagued her no less that she might have blown their cover. Not exactly eager for a spat, for she was tired of arguing with Yazoo, she merely folded her arms with a sigh.

"Maybe you're right," she responded grudgingly. "Maybe somebody did see us, but give me credit for _trying_ to make sure we avoided people. I didn't know any other way back to my apartment, and it's not like I can turn others invisible."

"Trying will do no one any good if it winds up in failure." By now, he stood a mere yard away, where it was more clearly visible to her how his pupils were threatening slits. "Besides, there is still that other girl—"

"That _other girl's_ name is Rika, and she's a good friend," Kallie butted in at once, unwilling to let him insult her friend like that. But damn, did she hate being so much shorter than Yazoo, forcing her to look up at him rather than seeing him eye-to-eye. "She wouldn't betray me like that, 'cuz she understands what I have to do."

"Friends cannot always be trusted. In fact, they should never be."

"Easy for you to say. _You_ don't have any friends to put trust in."

"Enough bickering, the both of you," Aurei suddenly snapped at them, calmly yet sternly; she certainly sounded like an admonishing, exasperated elder sister in that moment. "If word has somehow gotten out that both of you are alive, arguing will not set it right."

"_Thank_ you, Aurei," Kallie sighed, welcoming the rescue. "I'm glad somebody's got that kind of sensibility around here."

"If it happens that others aware of your survival, however…" Her sister had barely acknowledged Kallie's gratitude. "Then that might complicate matters; the world will certainly be on the lookout then, although I think that was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Only it didn't have to," Yazoo countered softly, though vehemently. As Aurei had interrupted before he had a chance to respond to Kallie, his only response to her then had been a conceited expression, clearly signifying to her he didn't care to have friends. The only person he probably considered even close to being a friend would be Loz, and only Loz; then again, Yazoo really didn't have _friends_, just tools.

_Shame, really… Would've been nice to know he has even an ounce of sentimentality in him._

"Now that that's over with…" Ignoring Yazoo's quiet retort and continuing down the marshy path, Aurei began speaking to Loz again. "What were you saying about this… 'Brother' again?"

But once Loz had finished telling Aurei about Brother, there was silence as usual among the group while they navigated the Midgar Marshes. Not only were they constantly on the lookout for another sudden Midgar Zolom attack and didn't want to be distracted by idle chatting, but there weren't usually any shared topics of interest between them anyway. While Kallie didn't consider herself a chatterbox, she still liked to socialize and talk with others, especially in circumstances such as these where it helped to make her feel more at ease.

Slowly, though, she was starting to get used to it, since this wasn't exactly the ideal crowd to have a casual conversation with. Loz was maybe turning out to be the only person she could have a decent chat with, even more than her own sister. But, with who he was and all that, she wasn't really banking on it; she wasn't even really sure what she would do if she and Loz actually ended up as _friends_, with the way things were developing between them. It _would_ be nice to actually have someone on this trip she had a decent level of friendship with, though…

_Man, I miss you guys…_ It wasn't the first time Kallie had felt homesick during the journey, but it was always the worst whenever she was reminded of her friends she had been forced to leave behind. _Damn it, I'd better be able to get to see Meryl when we get to Junon, or I'm gonna have to kill something… and I'll probably actually be able to._

Whatever that might be, it wasn't going to be another Midgar Zolom, thankfully. While Kallie thought she had spied one out in the distance, it didn't concern her too much because they were finally reaching the end of the marshes, and Kallie could have shouted for joy. Not only was she sick of battling the Zoloms despite the fact they were no longer such a difficult foe, but simply traversing the marshes left her feeling nasty: the air was moist and humid, they were assailed by insects, and each of them had gotten at least some mud on them, Kallie being the worst from all the times she had been knocked to the ground.

Plus, she was _hungry_; it had to be close to noon, if not past that. The mist and low clouds were just another thing she was sick of, for she had barely seen the sun the entire time, and lack of sun always made her feel depressed. When, at last, the mist began to thin up ahead and she could see more than just scrubs, an urge suddenly overtook her to be just free of this swampy hell.

"We're almost _out!"_ she cried, and took off down the path, racing past Aurei and Yazoo, almost brushing the latter as she sprinted towards what she had determined to be the finish line.

Along the way, despite the burning in her muscles and the aching in her limbs, she could not help but relish in how her body had developed over the short time she had been training. Already she was much stronger and could move faster than a few mere days ago, and it was something she did not take for granted. It was wonderful to compare the state of her body from then and now in such a simple physical activity; within half a minute, she had crossed a distance of about a hundred yards, and the fog had thinned even more to reveal what was presumably the edge of the marshes.

Again excited by what she beheld, Kallie put on an extra burst of speed. Yet, behind her, over her footfalls softened by the mud, she thought she had discerned a chuckle from behind her, and then another pounding of foot joined her own. Next thing she knew, a blur of azure light whizzed by her, and Kallie at once realized she had a challenger… although he had made the competition completely unfair.

Not wanting to be a sore loser, though, Kallie ran on at her current speed until she finally reached her goal: what was definitely the end of the marshes. Slowing down to a jog and then to an almost complete halt, Kallie panted for breath, doubling over a little. Soon enough, she straightened up and continued at a walk to where Loz was, his back to her as he surveyed the change of scenery. Upon hearing her approaching, he turned to face her with a smug grin that vaguely reminded her of May's expression whenever she managed to best Kallie at a board or card game she happened to be good at.

The recollection left Kallie feeling wistful. _May…_

Brushing the wistfulness aside as she drew level with Loz, she stopped there and placed her hands on her hips. Her gasps for air made speaking a little difficult as she said to him, "That wasn't a _race_, y'know. I just wanted to get the hell outta there!"

Of course, Loz wasn't winded in the slightest, and he grinned more widely at that evident fact. "But I still beat you."

"No race with you is gonna be fair, 'cuz you're always gonna be faster," Kallie retorted, and then realized that amid her panting, she was starting to laugh—only, it wasn't a wry or sarcastic laugh. For what felt like the first time after many long, weary days, she had begun to truly laugh.

She wanted to keep laughing, to finally have even a drop of humorous relief in her present life, but once Kallie thought she heard Loz starting to join in too, she stopped, suddenly afflicted with uncertainty. Perhaps she had welcomed the idea of some sort of reprieve from her stress, yet was she really going to let it originate from the likes of _him?_ Kallie took a couple more deep breaths as she turned away from Loz, beginning to instead examine their new surroundings that she had been so eager to reach.

Although this area still resembled the swamp she had just left behind, there were enough differences to maintain Kallie's sense of relief. Clouds had come to partially block the sun since the last time she had seen the sky, yet plenty of sunlight was still allowed to filter through; the air wasn't as moist or thick, and there certainly were less bugs here. There were actually trees here as well, tall ones to be exact, though they all were without leaves and appeared to be dead. That, and she could see a wall of mountains off in the distance above the bare canopy, within which she knew were the Mythril Mines.

_We've made it this far, I can't believe it… _One leg of their journey was almost over.

Barely a minute afterwards, the stragglers appeared from the mist, at the exact same pace they had been when Kallie had left them in the dust, looking to have been in no hurry whatsoever to exit the Midgar Marshes. Turning to face them once she had heard them approaching, Kallie waited for the usual, reprimanding lecture from one of them once they drew level, and sure enough, she got one.

"That was… sort of pointless, Kallie," said Aurei when she halted a few feet away, Yazoo proceeding to walk on ahead. "You would have reached the same destination either way, you know. Rushing ahead wouldn't have accomplished anything more."

"I consider getting outta that muck-hole as fast as possible accomplishing something!" Kallie rebutted, but in a light-hearted fashion. "And save your breath, I _know_ what you're gonna say next—that I should've conserved my energy and saved it for some other time when I'll need it most, yadda yadda. Don't _worry_, Aurei, I'm fine."

Aurei just stared back, and it was hard to determine if that had offended her. "Very well, then. In that case, consider my remarks redundant."

Yet, while she had closed her eyes, perhaps in exasperation or annoyance… Kallie was stunned to see that her features had lightened—as if, she were actually about to laugh. Or, at least, even smile. For a few moments, Kallie waited, her breath nearly bated, to see if either of the above would finally break through the stoical visage she had become so used to seeing.

As quickly as it had come, though, the lightening faded from Aurei's expression as she gave Kallie a much eagerly awaited lunch and they sat down on a log to enjoy the food. Much to Kallie's surprise, the two brothers actually ended up having lunch too, taking a sandwich for each of themselves before having a seat on a fallen log a little farther down the road.

Though Kallie tried not to glance over at them too much, she really could not help but marvel she was actually paying witness to one of their mealtimes, and sooner than she had expected as well. If Kallie's calculations were correct, they would need to eat at least every three days, or at least Yazoo did. As his brother had eaten some of her father's sandwiches the day before yesterday, he either needed more nutrition to feed his bulkiness, or he simply wanted to eat for the heck of it.

Then, Kallie almost laughed at herself for being so concerned about something as trivial as another person's eating habits—still, even their eating habits were anything but normal. She was just wanting to figure out, in whatever way she could, more about these guys!

Once lunchtime was over, though, they didn't end their repast there: Aurei started to talk about the usage of summon materia, and how vastly it differed from spells that magic materia could cast. While Kallie already knew the basics of summoning, though, what Aurei began to lecture her about was that using a summon of a Fire-based element would also be exclusively affected by Kallie's materia.

In the meantime, too bored and restless to stay sitting for long, Loz had gone off ahead to explore the area, disappearing around a bend in the road. Yazoo stayed where he was on the log, seated with his legs crossed, his arms loosely folded, and his back to a tree that happened to be behind him. The next time Kallie chanced a glance at him, however, she was slightly startled to realize that his eyes were closed and he appeared to be _asleep_. Quite unintentionally, probably because it was the first time she had seen him come anywhere near napping, she gazed at him longer than she meant to, unable to help but study how his hair caught the rays from the sun that came through gaps in the clouds, his fair skin seeming to be aglow—

"Are you listening, Kallie?"

"Sorry." Fervently, Kallie hoped that her staring at Yazoo hadn't been too obvious, or that she wasn't flushing at the moment, although both were probably too much to ask for. "You were saying… If I summon Ifrit, I can actually enhance its power with my _own?"_

"If you do so properly, yes, although it can end up draining more energy from you than you might have intended, if you're not careful. That almost happened to me when I first attempted that with Shiva. To make sure you avoid making that mistake…"

While Aurei began to instruct her on how to channel her power efficiently into a summon, Kallie almost became distracted again a minute later when Loz appeared from further down the road, especially because he was walking at a faster pace than before, as if excited by something he had seen. Apparently roused by the sound of his brother's footsteps, Yazoo opened his eyes and sat up when Loz reached him, quietly inquiring what he had come back for.

"I think you wanna see this, Yazoo," Loz replied, and there seemed to be something like awe in his eyes. "C'mon, Mother would want you to too."

For a few moments, Yazoo looked fleetingly annoyed by Loz's urging, then went impassive again as he evidently gave the matter some thought. Then, probably just for the heck of it, he got up and followed him down the road, his brother possessing the air of an overeager child wanting to show an older family member something really interesting. It was in moments like these that it became hard to distinguish who was really the elder sibling: because of his looks and body structure, Loz appeared to be the oldest at a glance, but Yazoo was definitely the more mature one…

"_Kallie_." Aurei was certainly quite irritated now with Kallie's lack of an attention span. "Do you want to learn about summons or not?"

This time, Kallie did not feel like apologizing, for she really wanted to know what had gotten Loz so excited. "Yeah, but can't that wait? Personally, I think we'd better see what _they're_ up to."

With faint exasperation, Aurei peered past Kallie to watch the silver-haired brothers as they disappeared around the bend in the road, paying no heed to their comrades they had left behind. Sighing then, she collected their things and stood, indicating her concurrence.

"You're right, we do need to get going," she said, already following in their tracks as Kallie was getting her stuff together. "I _suppose_ my lecture can wait."

In spite of their curiosity, though, neither sister was in enough of a hurry to quicken their steps any more than they had to. Besides, once they also rounded the corner, they spotted Loz and Yazoo far ahead of them down the road, although disappeared again after about a moment around another bend—there might be a lack of foliage with all the dead trees, but there were still enough of them and some boulders to block a person's view.

The second time, after another minute, that they were able to see the brothers again, both Aurei and Kallie noted that they had stopped way up ahead, in a sort of clearing where the trees were less dense. Yazoo was looking up at something, while Loz was gesturing up at whatever had gotten him so excited in the first place, probably speaking to his brother about it, although the words were indistinct he was so far away. Whatever he happened to be saying, however, he quieted down once the sisters came within earshot.

"Hey, what's all the commotion about here?" Folding her arms, she looked fixedly at Loz, the only one who was giving her his attention, since Yazoo hadn't turned around upon their arrival. "Better be good for having—"

"Why don't you look up first?" interrupted Aurei from behind her. "Yazoo happens to be staring directly at it."

Deciding against a retort, Kallie heeded her and proceeded to follow Yazoo's line of sight. Eventually, after much effort to make sense of what she perceived, she did a double take in bewilderment.

"Holy…" she murmured, stepping back to get a better view of it. "What the hell… happened here…?"

It was one of the most bizarre sights Kallie had yet to see: the enormous skeleton of what could only be a Midgar Zolom, staked on a tall, dead tree that almost looked as though it had been sharpened just to spear that gigantic serpent. It definitely had been there for quite some time, at least a year or more, for its body had been picked to bones by scavengers long ago and worn down by the elements; there were barely enough remaining bits of skin and tendons to hold the frame together. The only thing that appeared to have become gradually detached was its head, now lying in pieces on the ground just below where it was once connected to the body.

While it took a minute just to comprehend what she was seeing, her initial bewilderment had only faded slightly when she put her hands on her hips, shaking her head. This wasn't going to be the last of weird and off the wall stuff they would stumble across on this journey, was it?

"What happened to _this_ guy?" she wondered aloud in bemusement. "Did it… commit suicide or something?"

"It would have been handy if one had done that back in the Marshes," Aurei commented, not sounding one bit fazed by the sight of the skeleton; Kallie wouldn't be surprised if she had seen this already. "No, I would say some warrior or warriors, who passed through here long ago, were a little… crafty in dispatching this particular Zolom."

"I would say the same," Yazoo concurred quietly.

Another few moments were set aside for the group to further study the speared carcass; even if the others weren't as perplexed by the scene as Kallie was, it was wonderfully weird enough that they could appreciate it a little longer. Naturally, the first to lose interest was Yazoo, who turned away with an aloof, quiet scoff and continued down the road. Aurei was next, followed by Kallie after she gave it one last, bemused glance; however, Loz stayed behind the longest of all, continuing to stare at it until Yazoo told him to follow.

Even as Loz silently obeyed, reluctantly walking away and resisting the urge to glance back, his thoughts still dwelled on the slain Midgar Zolom, for faint memories would now not leave him be—memories that he could vaguely recall, and yet were not his own. It was not the first time it had happened since the beginning of his so-far-short life, and as this moment indicated, it wasn't to be the last either.

When he had first stumbled across the Midgar Zolom's remains, staring up at the skeleton speared upon the tree, he could remember leaping high up into the air, far out of range of its fangs… He could remember seeing it craning its body in order to reach him, and he gave it a single punch that sent it flying back to have its neck impaled upon the tree… He could remember just how easy of a battle it had been, so effortless that Masamune hadn't been needed at all…

Every time such recollections occurred, strange though it felt to possess memories that were not his own, it always left him with a sense of awe, for he would always be reminded that it was he who had been chosen to inherit Sephiroth's physical strength and power. But then, he would also begin to feel diminished, because he would also be reminded that, strong though he was, it was perhaps only a fraction of how powerful Sephiroth had once been.

_It was always Sephiroth who Mother wanted anyway… The one she chose…_

Such a notion never failed to make his fist clench in despair. Still, Loz knew it to be true: both he and Yazoo had fleetingly seen Sephiroth after he had been revived, and though they had caught only brief glimpses of him during his battle against Brother… what they had briefly discerned of his immense power had been utterly overwhelming, so much that Loz had fallen to his knees, tears leaking from his eyes…

But, strong though Sephiroth had been, somehow, some way, Brother had still been the one to reign victorious, and everything had collapsed from there—it only deepened what hopelessness he felt over how their mission had gone. Were they _never_ going to be strong enough to defeat the foes that got in their way? Would even his strength prove insufficient in furthering Mother's plans?

Upon sensing the first potential that he would start crying, though, Loz had to force himself to be rid of all these burdening, worrisome thoughts. At least he _and_ Yazoo had been able to pull through this far, and they could be the ones Mother entrusted to carry out her aspirations, just like Yazoo had said last night. They even had allies who were just as strong as they were, if not stronger (even Kallie, he was starting to think), and Mother herself had told them they would not betray them…

If she was confident enough to believe that their cause was not yet lost, then he was going to be too.

* * *

After Aurei had finished lecturing her sister on summons, the usual silence prevailed over the traveling group, and it continued to be that way when they finally entered the Mythril Mines. For entering into a new area, it felt a little out of place to Kallie that no one did or say anything to suggest that their environment was completely different from the open plains or the misty marshes. It wasn't as dank or dark as she had been convinced it would be, for one thing, and the shimmering, blue-green ore amid the gray, stone walls was actually rather pretty to look at.

Of course, Aurei behaved as if she had already been through here many times, Yazoo was as indifferent as ever to the scenery and, almost expectedly, it was only Loz who showed some fascination with the mines. Maybe she could have remarked on the environment to him, but the concept of striking up a casual conversation with him made her feel bothered and uncertain again. Even for the sake of having some sort of companionship, did she want it to come from being friends with _him?_

_Y'know, he really doesn't seem to be as bad as Yazoo, and he actually shows __**some**__ respect towards me…_ But again, she reminded herself of everything she knew he had done, in terrorizing the city of Edge and her beloved cousin, and that put an end to the issue for the time being. He was just going to be an ally, nothing more.

It was just as well, for there were monsters here that they needed to focus on, and which Kallie found were quite the reprieve after three arduous battles with high level beasts. They were tougher than the creatures she had encountered on the Kalm Plains, yet all certainly easier than a Midgar Zolom, and still enough of a challenge to keep her stimulated. Ark Dragons were especially good opponents, for they were the only creatures she had encountered thus far that weren't susceptible to her fire magic, and so she had to take them down with only her chakrams. But, the scuttling, buglike Castanets proved to be the most fun, as they were the weakest to Fire; she was able to set a whole group aflame once. That in itself was exhilarating, for it was the first time she was able to incinerate more than just one monster at one time.

Other than all those battles, the trip through the mines was, so far, uneventful and smooth. Indeed, without needing to say so, Aurei had been through here more than once: whenever they came to a fork in the paths, she would choose one without hesitation. She probably did know this place like the back of her hand, and that was something to be commended, considering how much of a labyrinth the mines were. In fact, when they came to a place where the ceiling had caved in, completely blocking the path, she calmly reassured the disheartened group that there was another route to the main exit.

"I can assure you, we _will_ be able to reach the other side of the Mythril Mines," Aurei said in order to assuage them, Yazoo looking displeased at having to backtrack. "Even if the main exit is blocked, there are still other ways out."

"But hey…" Loz was examining the enormous pieces of rock that stood in their way before turning back around with a hopeful expression. "Can't I just… bust through these so we don't have to go all the way back?"

"Perhaps… although I don't recommend it. You just might cause another cave-in, and we could all be buried alive." Aurei scrutinized the wall again before turning back in the direction they had just come from. "No, let's just go back. It won't be that much of an inconvenience."

As the group, rather grudgingly, began to retrace their steps, Kallie had to say that her sentiment was more or less the same as Yazoo's: she really did want to get out of here as soon as she could. She could not help but feel that every setback meant another delay in reaching Junon and thus finding May… if she or the kidnapper—Raide, she supposed she should call him now—really was in Junon.

Just _how_ could Aurei be so sure that their quarry really happened to be there? Just what evidence did Aurei have that that was supposed to be their destination? Once before, Kallie had put forth both of those questions to Aurei, and Aurei had refused to elaborate more on her hunch. Then again, that _had_ been before she had told them of the kidnapper's true identity, so did it have something to do with that…?

_What more does Aurei have to hide from me?_ Deciding she deserved every right to know, the inquiry was just ready to spring from Kallie's tongue, but what escaped instead was a gasp of alarm when there was a gunblast feet away from her; she had automatically jumped backwards, yet the bullet would have flown past her regardless.

The shooter was none other than Yazoo, having drawn his gun so swiftly not even his brother had taken notice. Standing only a couple of yards away from Kallie, he had the Velvet Nightmare pointed upwards at a shelf of rock high above them, wide enough for a person to walk across comfortably. Highly puzzled, the others glanced about for what he had been shooting at, since there appeared to be no monsters or anything that could be considered a target around—only Yazoo was still looking fixedly at the spot, and he hadn't lowered his weapon an inch.

"It's useless to hide," he spoke in the direction his firearm was pointing. "I know you're there, so show your pitiful self, coward."

"Coward? _You're_ the cowards for hiding and running away like you've been!"

The others in the group started in shock at the fact that there was actually a response, although it was Kallie who had been taken off guard the most. Other than her traveling companions and her father, she hadn't been in the presence of another soul since she had left Edge, and hadn't expected to be until Junon. What was more, during all that time she hadn't heard another female's voice aside from Aurei's.

Yet, sure enough, even as she watched, agape with surprise, a girl emerged from her hiding place behind a rock that jutted out from the wall. Her blond hair was cropped short, her amber eyes trained fiercely upon them, although the next shock that hit Kallie came from just how young she looked—this girl couldn't be much older than Kallie herself was!

Regardless of how old she might be, though, she clearly was here for something of great importance, judging by the black business suit she wore, the jacket of which had a zipper in place of buttons, and by the handgun she gripped tensely. Still, beneath her unwavering visage as she continued to glare at them, there resided something similar to fear, especially when Yazoo uttered his low, cold laugh.

"You call that cowardice?" he jeered, and the girl visibly flinched. "Only the foolhardy are daring enough to wander out into the open. With your clandestine ways of operating, you ought to know that better than anyone."

"Whether it was cowardice or foolishness," a man's voice suddenly said, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps, "None of that matters, because your flight has been in vain."

Calm though the manner was in which the man spoke, it nevertheless brimmed with authority, and at once the group swiveled their attention to him as he appeared from another tunnel that connected with this one. In comparison to the girl, he was a person of importance for sure: though his suit was identical to hers, and he too had a gun in hand, his expression possessed the same amount of authority with which he had spoken. His presence was accentuated by his long, black hair slicked back from his face, baring a reddish dot in the center of his forehead; with his overall physical characteristics, Kallie wondered if he was of Wutaian descent.

"Tseng!" gasped the blond-haired girl from behind them, apparently at having seen the man enter into her sight. Her tone took on an air of deflated dismay. "I-I'm sorry, Tseng. I tried to sneak up like you asked me to, but he—"

"Enough, Elena," the man named Tseng admonished softly, though firmly, causing her to fall into a sheepish silence. "You still have a habit of saying more than you need to."

"What more does she need to say?" Aurei asked, with such a casual air it was as if they were having a mere conversation. "You are clearly here to either capture or exterminate us. Or do the Turks operate differently now that Shinra has fallen?"

A slight smile flitted across Tseng's features. "Perhaps Shinra has been reduced to ruins like Midgar, yet the Turks are as resolute as ever."

_Holy hell…_ The shock hit Kallie like a Thunder spell, and she stared even more at Tseng, too stunned to utter her sudden amazement and dread aloud. _The… The __**Turks?**_

In the meantime, Yazoo had turned his firearm from Elena to Tseng, scoffing at what the latter had just said. "_Resolute?_ Resolute enough to again face the consequences of your interference?"

Tseng's expression only hardened. "As determined as you still may be in recovering this 'Mother', we are as equally determined to put a stop to your mission."

"Hot damn, you said it, Chief!"

At the sound of yet another novel voice, Kallie's heart both jumped in alarm and sunk in dismay. Now she, along with the others, turned their gazes to another shelf of rock on the other side of the passageway, opposite from Elena. From what looked like an entranceway there emerged two other men who were also clearly Turks, and ones who the two brothers recognized most of all. How could they not, when those two had proven to be one of the greatest nuisances during their mission?

"What a pleasant surprise," remarked Yazoo dryly, his eyes briefly flickering towards the bald Turk before resting them fixedly on a certain fiery-haired man he had come to consider as his rival. "So all of the President's peons have decided to come out and attempt to thwart us again."

Reno was just as hot-headed as Yazoo had remembered him to be, for he immediately scowled back in the remnant's direction. "_Peons?_ Now I ain't just here to stop this mother-shmuther business, you and me got a score to settle!"

With that, he made to leap straight for Yazoo, about to furiously swing his EMR, yet let out a strangled cry as the bald Turk had grabbed a hold of the back of his jacket, yanking him back onto the ledge. All the while, Yazoo had barely moved an inch, amusedly watching Reno's attempts to inflict harm upon him, only to be restrained by his partner. When Reno finally relented and stared exasperatedly at him, Rude merely shook his head in return. Readjusting his sunglasses, he then peered intently down at his former opponent, who only returned the gaze with dismay and disbelief.

As startled and astonished as Kallie had been when the Turks had made themselves known, Loz remained the most shocked out of all the group to see his former adversaries—the adversaries he had hoped against hope he would never have to deal with again. He simply couldn't believe it. He could not believe that his suspicions had been correct after all, making him suddenly beset with worry that he had somehow jinxed the group. How? Just _how_ had they been able to find them?

_Is it… really 'cuz of her?_ He glanced back at Kallie, who was shifting her gaze from one Turk to the next, appearing to be panic-stricken. _Did she really blow our cover, like Yazoo said she did?_

Wondering then what Aurei was planning to do about this, he next looked at her to construe some idea of her intentions, and found himself taken aback to see her staring quite intently at the bald Turk. The others she had only given a passing glance, but for some reason her gaze lingered on him in particular, her eyes even narrowing slightly at him. In return, Rude was staring just as hard back at her, although it was more as if he was actually startled to see her, and he continued to do so long after she turned her attention to Yazoo.

"Some old friends, I suppose?"

"Hardly," answered Tseng for her, and this time it was the two sisters he scrutinized quite intently, looking to be both suspicious and puzzled at their presence. "How did you and she—" He nodded at Kallie, who bristled in response, "come to be on speaking terms with these men, much less—?"

The sentence abruptly ended when Yazoo fired straight at Tseng, and he barely managed to sidestep out of harm's way. The bullet grazed his arm, tearing through fabric and skin, and all of his subordinates started in alarmed concern. He gave a groan, clutching at the small wound. While it was a shallow gash, however, and Tseng soon straightened up, Yazoo's message was still blatantly clear.

"That," he said, Velvet Nightmare still pointed directly at the chief Turk, "Is a question you'd best not ask again. It is none of your concern why they have joined us."

"It is very much our concern, I think," Tseng growled back, and his dark eyes narrowed. "In that case, permit me to ask this: with your leader gone, are you now the spokesperson for this aberrant cause of yours?"

At that, a positively complacent gleam appeared in Yazoo's eyes, and it was easily evident what kind of question he would allow. Here was a situation that, for once, even the highly knowledgeable Aurei could not possibly take the lead in. Here was his chance to prove himself to Mother, that he was capable of being the leader of the Reunion and was a worthy replacement for Kadaj. With all keenness, he advanced on Tseng, fully intending to enlighten him of his new position, for there was no one he'd rather boast this fact to than these pests who still would not learn their place. Yet, Yazoo had only taken a single step forward when a furious cry sounded from above—one fiery-haired Turk had had enough.

"Spokesperson my _ass!_ I don't care who the hell you are, you ain't gonna lay a finger on our chief again!"

This time, Rude wasn't quick enough to intercept his partner, and Reno charged without hesitation straight towards Yazoo, EMR raised high over his head. Barely fazed by the sudden assault, Yazoo merely waited until just before Reno would swing the EMR, and then suddenly stepped backward so he only struck the rocky floor instead. Before Reno could see where his target had gone, Yazoo instantly lashed out with a well-placed kick. Reno was sent flying into a nearby wall, striking its rocky surface and crumpling to his knees, completely winded by the blow.

Unexpected though it was, the nevertheless inevitable face-off had been instigated. Even as Yazoo had been dodging Reno's first attack, Loz's battle instincts kicked in a split-second later, and he went for Rude in an azure blur. Almost simultaneously, Aurei picked her target and rushed at Tseng, swiftly drawing her chain-sickle as she went.

The single person in the group who hadn't yet made a move of any sort, however, was Kallie. She was unaware that she had taken a few uncertain steps backward, for all she had focus on were the three different battles taking place before her eyes: Loz trading punches with Rude, Yazoo continuing to evade Reno's enraged counterattacks, and Aurei attempting to push Tseng into a more open space, out of the tight quarters of the tunnel.

It was something, despite the fact that she knew they were highly experienced warriors, Kallie could not begin to comprehend—just how they could face off against another human being and not even bat an eye. Fighting monsters, creatures who had little sentience, was one thing… but fighting people of her own _race?_ And they were the Turks—the _Turks_ of Shinra no less! During the heyday of Shinra, she and everyone else around her had come to fear that small, yet ruthless group of individuals, and she was supposed to fight them?

_I can't fight… __**them**_… It was as if she had completely forgotten about the chakrams at her hip, or the strange materia that was integrated with her very body. _I can't… I'm not ready—!_

A movement on her left, like the crumbling of stone, caught her attention and Kallie whirled with a start to see the female Turk named Elena lunging towards her, handgun pointed straight at her. What warrior instincts Kallie had developed suddenly kicking in, she reached for her chakrams, yet not quick enough before Elena fired, and Kallie's heart almost stopped at the impact that struck her the next instant. For the next few, fleeting moments, she was engulfed in confusion about what exactly had hit her, why she wasn't in any pain or simply wasn't dead yet, and why she could barely move until she suddenly registered that a _net_ had ensnared her. Fast though everything was happening, almost too fast for her to process, one thing did immediately occur to her: were they trying… to _capture_ her?

The revelation made her even more panic-stricken than before. _It… can't be…_

Yet, at the look of triumph in Elena's amber eyes, as she raced forward to claim her captive, something powerful and familiar overtook Kallie, morphing the panic and fear into sheer fury and resolve. Angry heat suddenly welling up inside her, with a sudden burst of inhuman strength and a furious cry, Kallie tore the net apart. While she was unable to entirely free herself, it nevertheless was enough that she could now move her legs and also grab a hold of her chakrams, preparing to hack through the rest of the net. But then, a hard sock to her jaw sent Kallie reeling, dazed, and she was barely able to catch sight of Elena preparing another punch.

Though Kallie managed to dodge that time, her leg got caught up in the shreds of the net and caused her to stumble, making her double her efforts to cut herself free. That was easier said than done, considering Elena was relentless in her attacks, looking positively alarmed that Kallie was able to be breaking free so easily. At one point, Elena even tried to grab a hold of her, only to stagger backwards when Kallie was finally able to throw a punch in retaliation.

At last having some sort of opportunity to be rid of this stupid net, Kallie leapt back onto a rise of rocks behind her. What she didn't exactly count on, however, was when she made to take a few more steps backward, her feet went through empty air instead. She flailed, trying to regain her balance, but still ended up tumbling backwards into space. The next thing that she didn't expect was that she continued to fall several feet into darkness that suddenly sprung up around her; instinct barely took over in time before she was able to right herself and land in a crouch, water splashing around her as she hit a rocky floor.

Breathing very hard, only aware of how fortunate she probably was in all her disorientation, Kallie carefully rose to her feet, her jeans soaked from the puddle she had landed in. Glancing around her new surroundings, still quite bewildered, she realized that she must have fallen into another tunnel just below the one where her comrades were fighting. Looking up, she was vaguely startled to see that the hole she had stumbled through was at least thirty feet above her, and through it drifted the sounds of the clash that continued to wage above.

Just as Kallie was trying to think of how the hell she could get back up there, wondering if _any_ of her teammates realized what had happened to her, she suddenly heard Elena's voice shouting something before the Turk herself appeared in the opening above, and Kallie knew their confrontation wasn't over yet. But as she jumped backwards before Elena could land on her, Kallie became aware again of the net that _still_ entangled her, and frustration suddenly overtook her—so much that the net burst into flames.

Completely unaffected by the flames, she was merely immensely relieved at how easily she could tear the net off of herself, the fibers that held it together either weakened or entirely burned away. It was as she was tossing away what remained of the net, though, that Elena landed before her, eying her with much more apparent wariness and apprehension than before.

"I… I don't believe it." She clearly must have witnessed what Kallie had done to free herself. "Is that…? Is this really the reason why—?"

Abruptly realizing then that she had again said too much, Elena automatically clamped a hand over her mouth as if to prevent any more words from coming out—only Kallie had heard enough.

"Why _what?_" she snapped at her, completely forgetting any qualms at openly challenging a Turk. "Why you're supposed to _capture_ me, eh?"

Well, Kallie could probably figure that out herself, given who she happened to be traveling with—yet was there something else too? Something in the way Elena had reacted to Kallie's display of fire magic made her think so, although somehow it didn't surprise her that might be a relevant reason too. But then… how the hell could they have possibly found out about her and Aurei's materia?

Elena instantly resumed her glare. "Don't ask why! We've got orders to capture you and that's all! Now put down your weapons and come with me before I have to use force—I've got more than just a net to catch you with."

For some odd reason, the threat just made Kallie smirk. "Sorry, but I've got my own plans, and I'm not about to let _anybody_ get in my way!"

Before Elena could pull what other trick she had from up her sleeve, a wall of fire suddenly sprung up around her; she gave a cry of alarm, her arms flying up to protect herself before she could realize that the flames were not meant to burn her. Seconds later, Kallie came bursting through the blaze, bits of fire clinging to her as her fist connected with Elena's collarbone and sent her reeling. Not giving her a chance to recover, Kallie grabbed Elena's arm and slammed it against the rocky wall. She was successful in causing her to let go of the handgun, although not before it went off with a bang, the blast narrowly missing Kallie's shoulder.

Now, with Elena disarmed, the odds were just as Kallie wanted them: she had put away her chakrams and had made sure the fire wouldn't harm her, all so she didn't have to hurt Elena more than she wanted to. If Kallie had no choice but to fight Elena, that didn't mean she had to kill her—she would just deal enough damage to render her incapacitated and unable to take her captive, and Kallie could escape to reunite with the others… At least, that was Kallie's plan.

Once Elena swiftly recuperated, she did not attempt to reclaim her handgun, but rather chose to continue with hand-to-hand combat. As the two opponents traded blow for blow, however, the two were more equal than Kallie had foreseen: Kallie was much stronger than Elena, yet Elena certainly had far more experience in terms of martial arts. The struggle seesawed between the two of them, with one appearing to gain the upper hand before the other would get it back, and yet somehow—in spite of the dire situation—Kallie relished the challenge that Elena presented.

But, finally, it at least seemed clear to her who would emerge the victor: as skilled a martial artist as Elena was, she still did not possess the stamina Kallie had developed. It was ever more obvious as the battle wore on, as she was getting far more out of breath than Kallie was. When Elena attempted a roundhouse kick at Kallie, she merely leaned out of the way to avoid it; with the opening she was given, Kallie raced in and grabbed her by the wrist.

This time, however, in between Elena's endeavors to free herself from Kallie's grip, Kallie managed to stretch her arm out completely and have a strong enough hold to keep it there. Then, with a single, swift movement, she struck Elena's elbow with the flat of her palm—at once, Kallie felt the revolting sensation of bone giving way, accompanied by a sickening crack and Elena's shriek of pain that did not go unheard by the fighters above.

"_Elena!_" Tseng was the first to cry, and though he lost his concentration for only those few seconds, it was enough to cost him. A blast of Blizzara sent him staggering backwards, and he clutched his chest where the spell had struck, leaving its frosty residue. Up until then, he had actually been holding his own rather well against Aurei, but now looked to be cursing himself for that slip in focus.

"It seems as though one of your own has been defeated," Aurei commented rather dryly, peering past Tseng to the crevice from which the scream had emanated. "A fair warning to you that we _aren't_ ones to be trifled with."

Straightening, Tseng merely scowled back at her before glancing over at his remaining subordinates. "Reno! Rude! One of you, go and assist Elena! We can't let the target escape!"

"Sorry, chief," grunted Rude, wiping a trail of blood from his mouth. "We're a little _busy_ right now."

"I'd go, man… But I'm being kinda held up here too," was Reno's excuse, although it was a good one for once: he could barely get back onto his feet before Yazoo would knock him back again, and it was so effortless for Yazoo he barely had to give his full attention when he spoke to Tseng.

"Target, you say?" he asked. When Reno thought he had an opportunity to strike, Yazoo barely had to look back to fend him off. "Is that imprudent girl so important she needs to be taken alive?"

"Tell me why she's so important to _your_ mission, and maybe I'll answer that."

Naturally, Yazoo's only response to that was a deadpan, and Tseng growled in vexation, but before anyone could attempt to press for any further information, Reno was getting fed up with Yazoo's lack of interest in the fight.

"Moron!_"_ he yelled, striking at him yet again and yet again missing him. "Gimme a real fight already, yo!"

"My pleasure," Yazoo replied, and gave Reno a powerful kick to the chest.

Caught unaware, Reno cried out as he was sent sailing across the tunnel, smacked against the rocky wall, and would have almost fallen through the very same crevice Kallie and Elena had gone through had he not grabbed the sides of the opening in time. His adversary, however, was quick to chase him down, and Reno soon found himself helpless at Yazoo's feet. Taking a moment to delight in his opponent's vulnerable state, the ridiculous sight of his limbs stretched out to prevent himself from falling through, Yazoo simply planted his foot upon Reno's back and, with just a little force, pushed him through the crevice.

It was another amusing scene for Yazoo to watch as Reno tumbled through space, giving cries of alarm and flailing his arms about until he hit the floor below and rolled out of sight. Aiming Velvet Nightmare through the crevice, he fired off a few rounds; while he heard yelps of alarm from below, he knew he hadn't hit anyone. But he had only done so to ensure the way would be clear, and Yazoo did not hesitate to jump through after him.

In what little time Reno was given, after landing in the tunnel and getting shot at, he had immediately hurried to Elena's side, beyond relieved to see her alive—but still greatly concerned at how she sat huddled against a wall, her face creased with pain and one arm limp at her side.

"Yo, Elena!" Reno cried in alarm, kneeling beside her as quick as he could. "The hell did she _do_ to you?"

"Bitch… broke my arm," Elena explained through gritted teeth, shakily raising her good arm to point down the tunnel. "She took off… that way, but… she probably doesn't know—"

But, Elena cut her own sentence short with a gasp of alarm as her gaze suddenly shot past Reno, and the sound of boots landing lightly upon the damp floor was heard a moment later. Cursing, whirling about and rising to his full height, Reno was dismayed to see that Yazoo had followed him down.

With a mere glance around, Yazoo did not have to think hard to figure out what had transpired here; for once, he did have to commend the orange-haired girl for her efforts. Thanks to her, the female Turk had been rendered incapacitated, and would barely be of any aid to her comrade, who was still looking thoroughly beaten from the battle they had yet to finish. In their current conditions, both must have realized they were easily at Yazoo's mercy, and he could finish them both off if he willed it. He so dearly wanted to, to at last put an end these nuisances—yet he refrained. There was yet one more use they might have for him.

"Jeez, can't you give it a break?" muttered Reno, backing up slightly but still making sure he was protectively stationed in front of Elena. "If you're thinkin' we've still got a piece of your ma somewhere, _forget it._ That psychopath leader of yours stole _all_ that we had of her, and I ain't fibbing about that!"

"Really?" Yazoo challenged in a quiet, yet razor-sharp voice. "And where is your proof to make me believe that, after all you did to deceive us?"

It made Yazoo smirk slightly to see Reno appearing suddenly dumbstruck, as if struggling to back up his claim, and Yazoo was sure he had stumbled upon something. What evidence would the fiery-haired Turk have to say that the President _didn't_ possess even a small amount of her cells still? He found it hard to—no, he would simply _not_—believe all that remained of Mother had been inside that little black box, and everything he and Loz had been striving for had all been for nothing. Mother's voice would not be so urgently spurring him onward otherwise!

The lies that these imbeciles had planted before hadn't stopped his brothers then, and they weren't about to deter him now.

When those few moments passed, and Reno finally gave up on supporting his claim, his only response then was to angrily rush towards Yazoo and make the umpteenth futile strike with the EMR: a technique that he should have realized at this point would be anything but successful. No matter where he swung the weapon, Yazoo would always block him, and Reno would eventually find himself driven back several feet by a forceful kick. Now, though, his impertinence was simply starting to irritate Yazoo—either Reno told the truth, or it would be forced out of him.

"Give it up already," Yazoo told him in a low sneer as the Turk endeavored to rise from his knees, his panting heavy and his nose bleeding—what a familiar sight. "You failed to stop us once before, so what makes you think you'll attain victory now?"

"Because Cloud ended up beating you all!" he heard the female Turk cry, and then the click of a gun being cocked.

Whirling about, Yazoo only needed a split-second to aim and shoot at the handgun Elena had pointed at him; she gasped and abruptly dropped the firearm when it was rent into pieces by the bullet. Both of her arms, it seemed, had been rendered useless, for the good arm that had held the gun was now trembling horribly from the blast, and Elena simply looked terrified now that she was undeniably defenseless.

"Brother, you mean?" It mattered little to Yazoo what Brother's true name was. "For your information… we killed him only a couple of days ago."

The smirk had already appeared on Yazoo's features when he said that, and it only grew at the shock that spread across the Turks' faces. The shock shifted to disbelief as they looked at each other for a very long moment, and then at last turned to consternation as their eyes fell on Yazoo again—although Reno did not stay that way for long.

"You…" His grip on the EMR tightened. "You… _liar!_" Springing to his feet, Reno charged at Yazoo like he had completely abandoned all reason. "We woulda heard if—!"

Reno's reckless charge, however, was abruptly interrupted when Yazoo fired once more, and he screeched to a stop, barely aware he had been inches away from death. The bullet had whizzed by his head with barely the breadth of a hair, and a few red-colored strands had drifted onto Reno's shoulder: the result of a shot meant as a final warning. Yazoo could have effortlessly ended Reno's pathetic life there—he still easily could, only Reno still had not provided the information Yazoo wanted to hear.

"Enough of this now." Velvet Nightmare was aimed directly between Reno's eyes, neither wavering nor faltering. "Tell me the truth about Mother, or regret that you did not."

The Turk looked to be somewhere between defeat and desperation. "We got nothin' left of Jenova, I swear—"

Yazoo's eyes flashed dangerously. "Then so be it."

What a feeling this was: having such power, such _control_, over the lives of others, and possessing the ability to take it all away in a single second. He could not help but _relish_ in their despair, drawing out every moment for what it was worth, yet it was time for that to end. He saw Reno take a step backward in vain, heard Elena give a strangled gasp, as if to fight back a terrified sob. He smirked, touched his finger to the trigger—

And brilliant white-blue light burst into existence around him.


	17. Believe

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 17**

_Believe_

The only instinct that possessed Kallie at the present moment was to run—run like hell. Run so she could find a way back to her comrades. Run so she could escape the Turks, and get away from the sight of Elena's limp, broken arm that sickened her so much. But, as Kallie soon discovered for herself, there was one thing that people on the run don't ever want to encounter.

_A dead end…?_

There was no other way to look at her predicament. Should one of the Turks choose to pursue her down this tunnel, Kallie would be undeniably trapped. The wall of rock that she currently stood only a yard or two away from clearly ran from floor to ceiling, from wall to wall, with no obvious crevice or crack that she could slip through. Stepping right up to the face of rock, she even ran her hands over the surface, as someone might while searching for some secret passageway or hidden trapdoor. Her findings, however, only led her to the same conclusion as before: it was nothing but a dead end.

_Shit._ That was all Kallie could manage to say about her dilemma. _Shit, shit, shit._

For what felt like half a minute more, Kallie merely stood there before the rock wall, examining it once or twice more to really make sure she hadn't overlooked even the tiniest opening. At last, she accepted the fact it was futile to even consider escaping this way; moments afterwards, it struck her just how wobbly her legs felt, and she gave in to that fatigue as well. Turning so she looked back up the tunnel, she sunk heavily to the ground, her back hitting the wall behind her.

In the quiet she was allowed here, only able to hear the faint, distant sounds of the battles taking place elsewhere in the Mythril Mines, there was nothing to distract her from the terrible pangs of anxiety that wracked her body all over, worse than the soreness in her muscles. Even though the Mines weren't all that chilly, she felt cold, like she had been doused in freezing water. She had broken out in a cold sweat, and her breaths came in shudders, like her lungs were seized by cold.

It was when Kallie looked down at her right hand, however, the hand she had used to break Elena's arm, that she felt the strongest coldness—a coldness that seemed to smother even the fire that blazed within her. Even a mere glance made a cold sort of nausea sweep over her, as if she could see that the leathered palm of her glove was coated with blood.

Kallie wondered if she should be fretting as much as she was over this—it wasn't like she had actually _killed_ Elena. Yet, the fact remained that she had possessed every intention to injure her, and she had been successful. What was more… she had known how to do it—she had _known_ just as well as any expert martial artist how to effectively break someone's arm. Plain old, ordinary Kallie Bradford would have never been able to perform that kind of technique in a hundred years.

_But… that someone else did._

Clenching her hand into a fist, she pressed it against her forehead, accompanying the motion with an agitated sigh. Just who the _hell_ had this person been? From the faint memories that were not her own, she knew, at the very least, that she had been a highly skilled warrior, perhaps one of the most highly regarded of her time—although, Kallie could not bring herself to be proud of that fact. Somewhere, deep down… there was a different sort of sentiment. A sentiment that felt distant and removed from her own feelings.

She was… ashamed of her powers. She despised them so immensely, because in the end they had only served to fail her and those closest to her heart. She had failed.

_Damn it, that's not what __**I**__ feel! _Kallie was so confused; even she, in that moment, didn't know what to think of her abilities. _Just who the hell are you? Why the hell do I have __**your**__ thoughts? Your feelings? Your __**memories**__?_

_Hell with it… Do I even know who the hell I am anymore?_

* * *

When Reno had fallen through the hole, and Yazoo had promptly followed him afterward, Tseng had been watching in his peripheral vision. Although Aurei had been able to spy a blatant opportunity to strike, she did not take advantage of it.

"Looks like Elena can receive some assistance after all," she commented rather dryly. As Tseng's look of dismay (as much as he had tried to hide it) furrowed into a scowl, Aurei's voice shifted to an almost casual air, like they weren't engaged in a battle right then and there. "Well, since Yazoo's gone now, I suppose you can interrogate me as freely as you want."

"Fine." Brushing the frost off his jacket that still lingered from the Blizzara spell, he barely removed his glare from her the whole while. "How is it that you've come to be allied with the likes of them_?_ Don't you know who they are, _or_ what they've done?"

Aurei sighed. "Is that all anyone can ever question?"

Steeled though Tseng's response was, it was evident he had to rein in frustration. "Answer me."

"We've merely found each other useful, that is all."

"You even _sound_ like them, especially that one." He jerked his head towards the hole Yazoo had gone through, a growl now creeping through his air of self-possession. "It truly disgusts me."

"Frankly, I couldn't give a damn about how I come across to others." Her tone of voice still had not lost its nonchalance, save for the hardened edge it had developed. "Now, allow me to ask Yazoo's question that you wouldn't answer: what importance does that girl have to _you?_"

Tseng's glower remained the same, no less intense than before. "Our objective is to capture her, nothing more. Her name is Kallie, I believe?"

"I've no obligation to confirm that. Regardless…" Aurei then lifted the sickle, and Tseng immediately tensed, raising his gun in response. "Whatever plans you have with her, know that we won't allow you to carry them out."

As if to solidify her warning, at that moment there was a cry, and both Aurei and Tseng leapt aside as Rude came sailing past them. Hitting the ground, he continued to skid along until he hit the cave wall, and there he lay, groaning. Not a second later, Loz landed next to Aurei, grinning at how Rude had ended up after having hurled him nearly the length of the tunnel. Yet, somehow, Rude was still able to pull himself back onto his feet.

The toll the battle was taking on him was nevertheless obvious, given he had to use the wall to support himself, and his sunglasses had at last fallen off, betraying the bruise forming over one eye. While Loz wanted to see, for his own amusement, if Rude had a replacement pair just like last time, he could not help but note how he was again staring so intently at Aurei. It was especially more evident with the absence of the sunglasses that she somehow caught his eye more than the others, although this time Aurei acted completely indifferent to his gaze.

"Just as I was saying before…" Her eyes were more focused on Tseng as he went to his comrade's side, helping him so he could stand on his own accord. "You either have a choice of leaving in peace, or dying in vain. Now, which is it?"

Tseng did not respond immediately, somewhat preoccupied with brushing the dirt off Rude's jacket and ensuring he was all right, until Rude himself indicated with a grunt he was fine now. While he still appeared to be struggling to remain upright, he nonetheless nodded silently at Tseng, who turned to face Aurei with as adamant an expression as ever.

"And just as I was saying before, we will not back down until we are successful with our mission."

"Then… I guess I was left with no other option after all." What exactly that option happened to be was soon made all too apparent: Aurei shifted into a battle stance, and Loz gleefully followed suit. "If that is what you have chosen… then we will make sure your mission will never be completed!"

And there, it could only appear as though the Turks' fates were sealed. They had truly underestimated just how powerful the remnants' newfound allies would be; even with all the Turks fighting together again, their defeat was the only imminent outcome. As Tseng aimed his handgun at Aurei and Rude wearily put up his fists, they were prepared for the fact that, this time, they might not come out of this encounter alive—especially since their opponents were determined to see to that personally.

But, as blue-white light unexpectedly erupted in a column from the crevice that led to the tunnel below, even the Turks did not immediately realize that the tables just might have turned in their favor.

* * *

All the while, Kallie had barely moved from her spot against the wall, even when she heard Reno screaming as he had fallen into the tunnel and gunshots had sounded. She had only been able to listen to Elena as she explained to Reno what had transpired, and felt her guts roil in self-disgust. She heard the sound of landing boots, indicating Yazoo had followed Reno down; she heard a struggle start up between them again. She heard Elena attempt to thwart Yazoo, and then a gunshot, followed by the sound of shattering metal.

And then, she heard Yazoo give his final warning—either they tell him more about what happened to 'Mother', or die.

That was what had kept Kallie rooted to the spot most of all. She didn't want to see anybody get slaughtered, friend or foe. She didn't want to see anybody commit downright murder, much less someone who was her own comrade. It didn't matter whether or not she came off as a coward or not. She just didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be here at all.

_Somewhere else… Somewhere that's anywhere but here… Just wherever May is…_

The one thing that finally snapped her out of her near-catatonic state, however, was when there was that sudden flare of bright, blue-white light from down the tunnel, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind and cries of alarm. Her head popped up so quickly it was as if it had been yanked up by a string, although she did not immediately jump to her feet. Rather, she listened again, but there was no mistaking something that no one had been expecting had just happened. Whatever the hell had occurred certainly successfully served to foil Yazoo; it had taken her a few seconds to register that it had been _his_ cries of alarm she had heard.

That thought then suddenly drove her to, almost unexpectedly, spring to her feet and begin racing down the tunnel, towards the very place where the sounds of a struggle and that blue-white light were still emanating—only, there was something odd about it all. The light was dancing all over the place, like an enormous candlelight, although it was the sounds that drew her concern most of all. Gunshots from Yazoo's firearm, Yazoo's grunts as he fought against something that was far more challenging than his previous opponent, and then something like faint, hazy roars.

Perhaps Kallie had heard it only on one occasion before, but it wasn't something she would have easily forgotten. Sure enough, when she rounded the corner and fully beheld what she had only been hearing from a distance, she stopped in her tracks at the sight of some rather familiar-looking enemies.

Like massive, overgrown vines, with the end of their slender bodies sprouting from the ground, four brightly glowing, serpentine creatures writhed to and fro. Unleashing hazy cries that rippled through the air and stung Kallie's ears despite their faintness, they wound around and even passed through each other, almost appearing to be a single entity in the tight confines of the tunnel. In spite of their frenzied movements, however, it was clear they were bent on one thing: eliminating Yazoo.

It was apparent that he had been thoroughly taken off guard by their emergence—he was high up in the air, almost hitting the ceiling while he attempted to dodge their snapping jaws and fire back at them. Somehow, though, it seemed he was unable to even reach the ground, for every time he got close, the serpents would drive him upwards again. In fact, the creatures actually looked as though they were lifting him, albeit a closer look revealed he was using them like a springboard in order to gain a better vantage point.

Who happened to be winning, however, it was hard to tell: it didn't look as though they had managed to injure Yazoo in any way, yet it seemed he hadn't been able to damage them either. Every time he fired, even when it was directly between their eyes or down their throats, the bullet would simply go straight through as if he had shot through mist. Of course—if Kallie could remember correctly, they couldn't be harmed by ordinary attacks. Magic had to be used in order to effectively destroy them.

But, even as she reflected back more on her last encounter with them, it just fully surfaced the question that had hit her when she had first entered the scene:

_What the hell are __**they**__ doing here?_

While they hadn't made an appearance ever since then, and they had only been mentioned a few times afterwards, Kallie had not easily forgotten about them. From what Aurei had hinted of their unknown foes, they certainly hadn't seen the last of these creatures… yet to see them _here?_ First the damn Turks had shown up to apparently kidnap her, and then these otherworldly serpents? Just what kind of business did they have with each other?

And then, as two and two suddenly pieced together, her heart gave a hard thump.

_No… Can it really be?_

These serpents that were apparently summons belonging to her mysterious adversary, showing up just as Yazoo had prepared to shoot down the fiery-haired Turk… were they _protecting_ the Turks? Could it really be possible that the Turks, and whoever the hell was associated with May's kidnapping, had somehow become allies? Just like she and Aurei had banded together with the silver-haired brothers? Was that why the Turks wanted to capture her?

And then, above all else… Had Aurei somehow known all along about this? Was this why she, Loz, and Yazoo had formed an alliance in the first place?

Even as she watched Yazoo struggle against the serpents, however, she was slowly being reminded of another moment not unlike this one: crouching behind a wall of rubble, watching from a safe vantage point as Loz and Yazoo had fought against the warrior called Brother, questioning exactly where her allegiance lay.

_Am I just gonna stand here like a coward… or am I gonna be a good ally and help that bastard out?_

At the moment, he _seemed_ to be doing well enough on his own, for he apparently had finally figured out how to correctly combat them. While he did not holster his firearm, he did begin to utilize his Fire magic against them, and that at last vanquished the otherworldly serpents. Yet, as before, when Aurei and Kallie had first fought against them, the serpents only appeared to regenerate—every one of the monsters that Yazoo destroyed, another one would take its place an instant later. Subsequently, in the end, he still fought against four that were just as strong as the previous ones; Kallie was certain that frustration and even a hint of dismay were starting to permeate his usually stony mask.

Probably because he was so immersed in trying to find a way to make his opponents stay dead, Yazoo didn't take notice of Kallie. Truth be told, Kallie was glad he hadn't, for she was still unsure of what her next action would be. She did, however, try to peer through the blue-white light in order to discern what the Turks were doing; while the mass of glowing serpents proved hard to see past, she thought she could discern Reno helping Elena move out of harm's way.

_I have to get out of here…_ That was her first priority, she knew, but what the hell was supposed to be the way out now? She didn't know if she could jump all the way up to that crevice, and even if she could, she hadn't a clue as to where the hell the exit to the mines was. Aurei was the only one who knew, and Kallie doubted she would have a free moment to tell her—she had to wonder if those serpents had suddenly ambushed her and Loz too.

Reviewing the dilemma again in her mind, it struck her again just how _stuck_ she felt. Damn it, was she really trapped here? Would helping out Yazoo even make a difference? Just what the hell was she supposed to do?

_May…_ The thought of her cousin was the only concrete, crystal clear focus Kallie had on anything right now. _Just whatever it'll take to get to you… I want to know… _Kallie's fist clenched tight. _I __**have**__ to know._

**So shortsighted you are, Kalina.**

And pure whiteness suddenly replaced everything around her. Kallie hadn't even been able to register those words in her ears before her surroundings so abruptly changed, and she gasped only after her senses had caught up with what had just happened. Before she could even think about the unexpected occurrence, let alone respond, the voice spoke again.

**You waste such precious time fretting and dawdling, and yet the path is clearly laid out before you. It always has been, and always will be.**

"What… path? What the hell do you mean by that! Who the hell are you! Where am I?"

That was what Kallie wanted to shout out at that voice, but somehow she didn't feel the questions leaving her tongue—it was as if her mouth hadn't opened at all. In spite of that, she felt as though the questions had been asked nevertheless, although she didn't need the latter ones to be answered now. She had been to this place already. She had heard that voice before.

_So, it's you again, huh? _Was he for real this time, or was this just another dream?

**A dream? This has forever been your reality, Kalina… and I have forever been a part of it. **Soft though the voice was, there was still such undeniable, powerful assurance it made Kallie's nerves tingle, and she could not help but shiver.** Every waking moment, I have been here to guide you.**

Now that Kallie knew so much more about what she was, and what she had gotten herself into, there was so much she wanted to ask that voice. How he had known the names of the three-brothers, and why he had chosen them to become her allies. If Aurei also heard his voice, which Kallie had a suspicion she did. What else he knew about her powers, and who used to possess them—somehow, despite his ever-reigning presence, she knew it hadn't been him. So many questions, and she well knew he wasn't going to answer them all… at least, not now. They could wait; something else had much bigger precedence.

**Do not question your alliance with the brothers for even one moment. They **_**are**_** meant to assist you in your mission.**

Kallie still sighed nevertheless. _Not like there's much I can do about that now…_

The voice had definitely heard her rebuttal, and while she thought she heard a sigh from him, he did not remark further on it. **As for escape… You will not be able to leave the way you came, but keep following this tunnel and you shall find another exit.**

As grateful as Kallie was for that small, yet valuable, piece of information, there was still uncertainty that came to mind. All she had to do was think it for the voice to hear.

**Be not uncertain that Yazoo will not believe you know the way out. He will, and he knows he must.**

_Yazoo would know that, eh?_ Well, if it was the voice telling her so, Kallie guessed she'd better trust his judgment. It was then she knew there was nothing more for the voice to tell her and it was time for her to quit dawdling, for she could already feel him fading away—yet there was one last thing he had to say.

**Just remember, Kalina… There is only the one path that you are fated to walk, and never will you stray from it. **

With that, he was gone, and it was as if Kallie had never been in that place. As if that entire conversation had taken perhaps only a single millisecond, Yazoo and those creatures were nearly in the exact same place she had last seen them. The only different thing, however, was when she glimpsed Reno leaping into the air and bearing down upon Yazoo, EMR held high over his head. Kallie saw Yazoo turn to retaliate, yet the serpents suddenly swarmed in on him; she heard his cry of agony as one clamped its jaws down on his shoulder, another on his arm that held Velvet Nightmare. For that one instance, he was completely vulnerable, unable to do anything to block or dodge the oncoming attack.

And that was where Kallie chose to act at last. Reaching for her fire magic, she grabbed one of her chakrams and chucked it towards the fray.

* * *

As it turned out, it wasn't only Yazoo that the mysterious serpents had chosen to target. Simultaneously with the blue-white light that had shone from the crevice, Aurei and Loz found themselves engulfed in the same light, which soon transformed itself into those unnamed creatures. Just like Yazoo, the creatures had surfaced from almost right beneath their feet, and they too were driven high into the air as a result. Only for them, there weren't just four to face off against—there were eight.

Although it appeared that the Turks were just as bewildered by the serpents' appearances as Aurei and Loz had been, once they realized that they weren't the ones being targeted, Tseng immediately took the opportunity to open fire. In spite of the serpents that were trying to tear them to pieces, Loz was able to dodge the bullets, and Aurei actually deflected them with her scythe, yet one still managed to graze her arm. While it had barely done any damage and Aurei only recoiled slightly at the affliction, it still angered Loz that she had gotten hurt, much less had been taken advantage of in her preoccupied state.

Wanting nothing more than to be free of these serpents, just so he could retaliate back at the Turk, he actually began to grapple furiously with them, to see if it wasn't possible to somehow break their spines. His ignorance betrayed him, however, for the moment his fists first came into contact with the serpents, Loz abruptly wrenched them away again with a snarl. While he hadn't actually been hurt, he was still alarmed to see a black mist rising from his hands—just what had these monsters _done_ to him?

"You can't fight them with just physical attacks!" Aurei yelled to him, her voice nearly drowned out by the rushing sound of air as the serpents continued to twist and wind around them. "You have to use magic against them!"

Loz felt he should have figured that out sooner, for he had seen how easily Aurei had been able to destroy them with a myriad of Ice spells. It only hadn't seemed like she had done any damage because another would almost instantly rise to replace its fallen kin, and so the endless, hopeless spiral seemed to continue—until a revelation occurred to Loz. He didn't hesitate to act upon it.

Invoking his supernatural speed at once, Loz shot out of the tangle of serpents, moving too fast for them to do a thing about it, coming to a screeching halt on the stone floor. Before he even entirely came to a stop, however, he had reached for the darkness within the Lifestream and called upon the Shadow Creepers.

Immediately responding to his command, they sprung from the earth, forming from dark mists as they lunged, snarling, for the glowing serpents. At once, the opposing monsters, creatures of both the light and the dark, became locked in conflict—just as quickly, the victor became apparent. It was with disbelief and despair that Loz watched as the Shadow Creepers were obliterated by the mysterious serpents, and especially at the rate at which they fell, despite the numbers in which he had summoned them.

The Shadow Creepers were barely able to do even a scratch before one of the serpents would suddenly swoop down upon them and rip straight through them. Some of the serpents would open their maws and blast forth a stream of blue, ribbon-like energy that would instantly incinerate a Shadow Creeper. Once the Shadow Creepers had dwindled down to only a few left, it was almost too much for Loz to watch as the serpents ganged up on them, tearing them from limb to limb until they vanished into smoke.

Throughout the brief struggle, the tunnel had been filled with their harsh, dying screeches, and Loz had to clap his hands over his ears, for those sounds were hard enough to listen to even without his sensitive hearing. But, there did come some good out of the Shadow Creeper's summoning: they had managed to slay at least one of the serpents (before it was promptly replaced), and they had distracted the serpents long enough for Aurei to free herself from the fray. As she landed near Loz, he was rather surprised that she was panting slightly—he hadn't seen her so exhausted since his own confrontation with her.

"That was actually quite effective," she remarked after taking a few moments to catch her breath.

It wasn't enough to lift Loz's spirits, though. "But it's still not enough."

"Perhaps not. But…" As the serpents finished off the last Shadow Creeper, they looked to be reconvening, preparing to continue what they had been interrupted from, Aurei readjusted her grip on her sickle-chain and drew herself to her fullest height. "I think I know something else that just might buy us some time to escape."

"Escape…?" Loz repeated, a little taken aback. If Aurei had a plan in mind, that was not what he had been expecting.

"We won't get anywhere trying to fight these creatures, Loz. Just listen to what I tell you to do." All of a sudden, Aurei's entire body began to glow with a familiar silver aura, and the temperature around her simultaneously dropped; taken off guard, Loz stumbled back a foot or two. "Take cover once I use my limit break. Once the creatures are gone, use your speed and strength to break through the debris ahead."

Loz merely stared at her in disbelief.

"That's right. It seems you'll get a chance to 'bust through' those rocks after all."

* * *

As unexpected as the ambush had been, Yazoo had still been fully confident he could easily handle those serpents—initially, anyway. Like Loz (although he had come to the revelation much quicker), it hadn't taken long for him to note that these creatures were not unlike the Shadow Creepers that he and his brothers could summon to do their bidding. While easily felled by strong warriors such as Brother, their most formidable quality came from their strength in numbers, and that was his biggest quandary right now.

_These creatures… just won't stop coming._

It was simply _vexing_ him that they just seemed to keep regenerating themselves, no matter how many times he was able to destroy them. He well knew he couldn't keep this up once he ran out of magic, the only thing that was just barely sustaining him. What he wanted to know, more than anything, was just _why_ the summoner was drawing out the battle like this. It was clear that he or she was more than capable of overwhelming him with a flock of serpents, and yet their numbers remained at four—no more, no less.

Just what was the meaning behind all of this? Did the person wish to test him? Did they simply want to take delight in seeing him struggle in vain before at last dispatching him? Whatever the reason was… he knew his plight was only getting worse and worse, and it wasn't about to get any better.

As Yazoo got more disorientated by the brightness of the serpents that danced around him, their screeches piercing in his sensitive ears despite their haziness, he was almost too distracted to realize someone else was preparing to join the fray. It wasn't until Reno suddenly leaped through a gap in the serpents that Yazoo remembered irritably that, in addition to these monsters, he still had yet another adversary to attend to. Being as frustrated as he was at this point, Yazoo aimed Velvet Nightmare without hesitation at the Turk—if there was one thing he knew he could kill without fail, it would be him!

Yet, even when it would have been a perfect shot, he was again denied his chance to end Reno's life; once again, blue-white brightness engulfed him as the serpents swiftly swooped in upon him. All he knew next was the simultaneous burning, freezing pain that coursed throughout his body as two of the creatures sunk their teeth into his arm and shoulder, a pain so excruciating he was barely aware of the agonized cry that left his own lips. His sight seemed to blur from both the pain and the light, and all he could discern was an indistinct human shape, perhaps only feet away.

In that split-second space of time, before he knew Reno would inevitably strike him down, the one thing Yazoo could comprehend was that the battle had been decided. His efforts had really been in vain; he would be the one to lose after all. The serpents had completely immobilized him, leaving him absolutely defenseless before Reno. He heard Reno give a mighty cry, heard the swing of the EMR, the sound of something whizzing, crackling, through the air, and then pained, hazy screeches as the serpents vanished into mist, promptly releasing him from their grasp.

It took him yet another split-second for Yazoo to even realize that he was free and now falling through the air, until he took notice of the fact that it was no longer so bright anymore. Then, his senses—particularly his eyesight—were suddenly brought back into sharp focus, and there was Reno, inches from striking Yazoo down. Luck was back on Yazoo's side: although he wouldn't have been able to use Velvet Nightmare in time, he was still able to push aside Reno's arm and sneak in a kick. His boot connected squarely with Reno's chest, and while it wouldn't have done any major damage, it was enough that Yazoo could knock him back, allowing him to finally land upon the rock floor again.

Never had it been such a relief to have his feet upon firm ground. At last, while his body was still wracked with that pain, Yazoo felt like he had some sense of equilibrium, and he could determine exactly where everything was now. The serpents had not yet reappeared; Reno himself had just landed opposite of Yazoo, twenty feet down the tunnel; Elena had found a crevice in the wall to tuck herself protectively into.

But, he then again heard that object whizzing through the air, moments before it sounded as though someone had caught it—all the while accompanied by the familiar footfalls of boots, calmly yet surely approaching from behind. Soon enough, the person drew level with him, and he didn't have to turn to see who it was. Even in his peripheral vision, there was no mistaking that orange hair.

_Will you look at who finally decided to show up._

While he couldn't argue that the orange-haired girl had been the one to save his skin, and he might be much worse off if it wasn't for her, he still couldn't bring himself to feel the least bit grateful. Perhaps he would have been more appreciative, if she had had the sense to intervene _sooner_. As much as he wanted to scold the girl for her lack of timeliness, though, even Yazoo knew that wasn't his top priority right now—he just hoped that he would survive long enough to have that chance to reprimand her later.

Although he did not give her more than that sidelong glance, it was enough to tell that she too knew what was their biggest precedence was, for she had not taken her eyes off Reno. Except, however, Yazoo was sure he caught her staring at him with widened eyes, and he didn't have to guess why: faint black mist rose from the places on his body where the serpents had come into contact with him. That was beyond just his arm and shoulder, since their teeth had managed to nick other parts of his body, and his feet were 'bleeding' as well from when he had stepped on the creatures, though he hadn't felt any pain then. It was perhaps fortunate they could only harm him with their bites, and the mist eventually stopped rising, yet it was never any less of a concern if they were able to cause him to deteriorate like that.

_I'll have to be more careful around them from now on_, he surmised, just as a new set of serpents burst forth from the rocky floor, although thankfully not around him or the girl this time. They now flanked Reno like a pack of guard dogs, snapping their jaws and fixating fierce azure eyes upon their targets. Scrutinizing Reno's face to discern his reaction to these serpentine allies, the Turk seemed to comprehend that they were meant to assist him, but he was still evidently bewildered by their presence.

"Hey, Yazoo," said the girl from beside him. While it was a little unexpected to hear her speak to him, much less without some kind of contempt, he still barely turned to her. "I know how we can get the hell out of here."

"Of course. We go back up through that crevice." This girl's ignorance would just never cease even in the direst situations, would it?

"No, we can't." A hard edge had crept back into her voice, but still not out of resentment: she merely sounded desperate to get her point across. "We can't go back up there. Those same creatures attacked Aurei and Loz, and they're not doing well against them either. We'd all just get trapped."

"And we would be trapped down here regardless." Just what ludicrous notion could have occurred to her not to attempt to go back up and rejoin the others? They were worse off enough as they were split up; perhaps, with all four of them, they could possibly overwhelm those serpents. Aurei was the only one who knew how to get out anyway.

"Will you _listen_ to me?" He didn't think she would have been able to keep the hatred in her voice suppressed for long. "There's another way outta here! If we just keep following this tunnel—"

But, the opportunity for the girl to explain herself was swiftly stolen when Reno and his serpentine allies at last chose to strike again. Whether the Turk had decided to let them help him out or not, the moment he had lunged forward, the serpents immediately followed. Two of the creatures opened their incandescent jaws wide, spilling forth their azure ribbons of energy. Dodging to opposite sides of the tunnel, both Yazoo and the girl cast their Fire magic towards the adversaries, burning away all but one of the serpents.

The brief opening they created was yet another perfect shot for Yazoo, only he hesitated, somehow getting the feeling those serpents would come to thwart him again. Sure enough, when he chanced to aim Velvet Nightmare at Reno again, three more of them shot up from the ground; he, however, had learned his lesson, and managed to jump backwards just in time to avoid them. Backflipping, he sprung off the wall behind him, somersaulted over the heads of the serpents, then used one like a stepping stone and leapt off to land on the other side of the fray. Moments afterward, the girl joined him again, although she had merely sliced and whirled her way through the serpents with fiery chakrams rather than resorting to fancy acrobatics.

"Seriously, you gotta trust me on this!" the girl cried at him, and Yazoo bristled—was she still trying to convince him with her hollow words? "I'm _sure_ there's another exit up ahead!"

"Sure, are you? Just tell me, how can you be so _sure_ that such an exit even exists?"

The girl flinched, indicating to Yazoo that she really had no evidence to support her claim. Still appearing quite flustered, she opened her mouth to make a futile explanation, yet she was spared the trouble when something like an explosion sounded from the tunnel above, and the entire place rumbled as if in an earthquake.

* * *

The first time Loz had ever seen Aurei use a limit break, he couldn't say he had been in awe of the display of power, mostly because she had used it to defeat both him and Yazoo. This instance, however, as he watched her entire body suddenly begin to emanate silver light, and ice cold wind kicked up around her, he found himself so awestruck that he nearly forgot to get out of harm's way like she had warned him to. Still, even as he jumped backwards, he kept his eyes locked on her in great fascination as she prepared her attack.

While that wind whirled ever stronger around her, slowly coating the rocks in the vicinity with a layer of frost, Aurei began to stretch out the chain before her. As her hand passed over the length of metal, it became thickly encased in ice, until at last the weapon that had previously been a chain-sickle was nothing less than a staff of ice; even the blade was frozen over.

During that entire time, as she had been transforming her weapon, the serpents had all immediately dove for her, as if to interrupt her somehow before she could fully charge the attack. Those that first reached her would find themselves disintegrated by the icy twister that surrounded her. Although those creatures were replaced as quickly as they had been destroyed, they all failed to thwart the completion of her limit break.

Twirling the ice staff once in one hand, she leapt at the nearest cluster of serpents and effortlessly sliced through them; when the other creatures hastened to retaliate, Aurei then spun the staff above her head and dispatched those as well. At the speed she was moving, Loz knew that she had limited time to use the special attack, and it wasn't long before he saw the evidence for himself. Glowing cracks had begun to appear in the ice staff, and while it still held its shape, it wasn't going to be long before the makeshift weapon would shatter and resume its usual form.

Probably having taken note of that herself, Aurei had just slain another serpent when the latest ones that had been conjured lunged for her. Raising the ice staff, gleaming with cracks, over her head, she then slammed it down into the rocky floor. The ice did not simply break, though—it shattered apart in an explosion of glacial magic. The icy blast destroyed what serpents were left; the Turks, along with Loz, had to take cover to avoid being hit by the shards that had flown everywhere.

In those seconds before the dust had entirely cleared, however, Loz knew it was time for him to execute his part of the plan—he felt a twinge of hesitation, unsure if it could actually work, but knew he had to try. Their escape was all up to him. Clenching his fists tight, stepping into a lunging position, he put all focus onto the debris directly ahead of him, took note of the path that had been cleared for him, and then utilized his superhuman speed. Racing towards the blockage of rocks in an azure blur, he zoomed through the icy cold air that still lingered from Aurei's limit break, the frigid particles stinging his face; he dashed past Aurei by perhaps only inches.

Though Aurei had not exactly stated her intentions, after she had used her limit break, what she did do wasn't exactly what Loz expected. Something thick and ice cold suddenly wrapped around his chest, immediately followed by something else much heavier colliding with his back. Even at the speed at which he was moving, Aurei had thrown her chain around him and let herself get pulled against him by his sheer momentum. As daring as the maneuver was, it wasn't enough to interfere with his mad dash towards the blockage. He did not slow down once, not even when he was in danger of smacking face first into the wall of debris—instead, once he came that close, he drew his fist back before thrusting it forward with every ounce of strength he possessed.

The impact was tumultuous: the rocks were practically shattered into nothing but dust with all the power he had packed behind his punch, and that was the first problem he literally ran into. He had to shut his eyes tight if he wished not to get blinded by the flying fragments, yet like a missile, he kept going. Thankfully, he felt the presence of magic suddenly flare around him, and he chanced to open his eyes to see a light blue glimmer around him—Aurei had cast Shield, protecting them from the stone fragments. Now, he knew it was all up to him and his strength.

Already, he had not dared to cease punching through the cascading, crumbling rocks, but now he simply doubled his efforts to break through. It felt endless, and the debris that had caved in was much denser than he had anticipated. Even with Aurei's shield, his fists were still taking a beating from all the rocks, and he had sustained some cuts before she had been able to cast the protective spell. No matter what he had to endure, however, he knew he couldn't stop.

Punching one boulder so hard it was cloven in two, he hurled yet another great burst of strength into pushing the rocks aside, and broke out into open air.

* * *

Successful though Aurei's plan had proved to be so far, the earthquake-like tremor that had resulted had merely caused more problems for Kallie and Yazoo in the tunnel below. Everyone—even the serpents, it seemed—looked around in confusion as the tunnel shook around them, and cracks appeared in the ceiling while bits of rock rained down around them. What became the biggest problem, however, was when there was another loud crash overhead, and what little light that came in from above suddenly vanished.

Exactly how that had happened was something they could only surmise, but they all came to the same conclusion: enormous rocks had ended up covering the crevice above. Whatever had occurred up there, they knew there was only be one person who could be possibly responsible…

"Holy shit…" Kallie murmured, almost dazedly, when the thought had struck her. "Did Loz… just…?"

Upon glancing over at Yazoo for his opinion, however, she only saw his bottom lip twitch and his brow furrow in aggravation, glaring up at the crevice that had been blocked up with rocks. Whether or not he was pissed at his brother for having cut off his intended escape route, Kallie knew he must have also realized it meant there was only one other alternative left. When he whipped his head about to glower at her, he had managed to restrain some of his irritation by then, yet there remained enough for her to see.

"You better be right about this," he hissed. Firing off another round of bullets, he abruptly whirled around and began to run down the tunnel, in what was hopefully the direction of their only way out.

_Yeah, __**you'd**__ better be_, Kallie thought, hoping the voice would hear her, and immediately followed after Yazoo.

Although the light from the passage above had been their only light source, they weren't in complete darkness, for they had their own ways of providing light: the glow of the serpents as they pursued their quarry down the tunnel, and the blaze from Kallie and Yazoo's fire magic as they fought them back. Of course, whoever was summoning the serpents was being smart, for their foes were now starting to materialize ahead of them; the fleeing pair was forced to be quick about dispatching them if they didn't want to be slowed down in the slightest.

They began to combine Fire spells with their weapons, Kallie turning her chakrams into wheels of fire, and Yazoo now shooting blazing bullets at the serpents in their way, effectively mowing them down. Just when they both thought they were getting somewhere, however, that was when a pool of blue-white light suddenly flared around them, foreboding the summoning of an even greater multitude of opponents. Kallie saw Yazoo ready yet another Fire spell, yet she knew that was barely going to be enough to combat them—although she knew something else that just might.

"_Jump!"_ she yelled at him, and just as the serpentine forms began to rise around them, Kallie smacked a flaming hand to the floor.

Surprisingly enough, Yazoo had heeded her not a moment too late, for if he had, he might have been scorched by the wave of fire that stemmed forth in all directions from where the flat of her palm was placed on the ground. The inferno incinerated the serpents before they had a chance to be fully formed, and it halted their summoning for the time being. When Yazoo's boots touched the floor again, no more arose to retaliate, and the two of them took the opportunity to have a breather, even as they heard the distant sounds of someone else racing towards them in pursuit.

"How's your magic holding up?" asked Kallie amid her heavy panting as she straightened up. Exhausted though she was, as she had never used so much magic sequentially, it wasn't enough that she felt like she was going to collapse. In fact, she conjured a ball of fire to use as a lantern, since this part of the tunnel was otherwise almost devoid of light.

"I'll have enough to get us through," he informed her without a hint of exertion, reloading his firearm with fresh ammo before turning a cold gaze on her. "_If_ we're actually able to find an exit."

"Hey, we've still got a whole tunnel to follow!" she tried to tell him brightly, but it came out as being much more bitter.

Sighing, she turned her makeshift lantern to examine the tunnel ahead of them, and noted that it almost seemed to come to a dead end, yet the tunnel actually appeared to continue on through a narrower doorway of sorts—one that clearly looked as if it had been manmade. Had that been something constructed in the days when the Mythril Mines were functioning? Yazoo had seen it too, although he probably wasn't about to openly admit she had a point about something for once.

"Let's not linger here, then," he said, and began to head towards the doorway with hastened strides. Without a word, Kallie was about to follow suit when both of them became aware that the sounds of their pursuer, which had not ceased this entire time, had drawn close enough they knew he had finally caught up with them.

Turning around again, backing up as she did so, the light from Kallie's fire fell upon the figure of the fiery-haired Turk, appearing to be nothing but battle-weary, sweat-streaked, and completely out of breath. Kallie had to say, with him being as beaten up as he was, she had to commend this Reno for being so persistent. She really wished he wouldn't be, though: there didn't seem to be anything stopping Yazoo from actually killing him this time.

"Just stop it, will you?" she snapped at him. The only thing she wanted was just to beg him into hauling ass out of here, but he was still her enemy, so would he even listen? "Look, I'm not interested in becoming your damn captive, so just forget it! Get the hell outta here!"

Cold laughter from Yazoo made her falter slightly, though, for she knew he had other things in mind. "As if I'd let him go so easily, girl. It'll be easier on all of us if I just kill him right here."

Right on cue—and Kallie was actually grateful it had happened this time, the serpents made their impeccably timed reemergence. Instead of surfacing beneath Yazoo as before, though, they formed a protective circle around Reno; he instantly staggered backwards out of exhaustion, looking all too thankful for the relief force. On the other hand, she saw Yazoo's expression fade to something close to cool impassiveness, as if he hadn't expected anything less to occur.

"And here, I was hoping that those creatures had finally relented," she heard him mutter, making her wonder if he was actually speaking to her. His lip then curled slightly in disgust. "Just _who_ decided to assist these imbeciles?"

"I dunno, but it's clear to me it's gonna be pointless trying to keep fighting them off." With her makeshift lantern still hovering before her, she had backed up slightly, hoping Yazoo would get the message and follow suit. "Let's just get the hell outta here."

"If they'll let us." He actually seemed to be acknowledging that the tables had been turned on them once more, for he had also taken a step backwards. "You seem to have a brilliant plan for escaping, so how about getting us out of this mess?"

Well then, was it just her or was he actually turning to her for ideas? If she didn't know better, though, that remark had probably been entirely sarcastic—only, it just so happened that she _did_ have something in mind. She had been hesitant to put it into action when the idea had first occurred to her, out of uncertainty that it would work like she wanted it to… but if she wished to finally be free of this hell-hole, it just might the only thing she could do now.

"Aw, you're actually gonna listen to me? Glad to hear that, because I have actually thought of something."

Yazoo merely scoffed. At that moment, a serpent had cocked its head slightly, and then all the serpents that surrounded Reno suddenly perked into an attack position. Seeing that movement, both she and Yazoo tensed, simultaneously stepping backward again; Yazoo's tone was much sharper as he spoke to her again, "Quit stalling, girl! What do you have in mind?"

"Just keep running on ahead, I'll catch up with you," she told him, feeling a sense of authority coming over her. "I'm gonna have somebody else hold these bastards back for us."

For a few moments, those feline eyes merely stared back at her while he appeared to be processing her words, silently considering her command. Then, with barely a change in his already emotionless features, he nodded ever so slightly, and dashed through the doorway. Praying with all of her heart that this would work, she turned to fully face the serpents and the Turk they shielded, noting the latter was still on his feet—although just barely. Thankfully, it seemed as though Yazoo wouldn't have any serpents on his tail, for they appeared to be regarding her as the bigger threat now.

"I don't know what the hell you want with me," she called out loudly, not only to Reno but the serpents as well, in the hopes that whoever the hell their summoner happened to be would hear her too. "But what I do know that I'm not gonna let anybody get in my way. I've come too far to let that happen, no matter what."

"No matter what, eh?" Reno shouted back, almost taking her off guard—it looked as though he had finally gotten enough of his breath back to at least talk. "No matter what, even if you're prancin' around with those blockheads? Even if you had to break Elena's _arm_, you bitch!"

The insult made angry heat flare in her face, even though she well knew she probably deserved it. "Shut up, it's not like I had a choice! Just be grateful I'm not thinking of blowing your brains out like he was going to!"

Reno's face clenched in a snarl, but Kallie had had her say; all she wanted was to finally get this over with and high tail out of here. The only reason she would have tried to stall was because this was the first time she had ever thought of attempting this—she only had Aurei's instruction to rely upon, and yet she was putting all her trust in doing it right. Damn it, it had _better_ work, because she didn't have a Plan B to fall back on.

_I'm not gonna be a complete idiot for trying this, right?_ she thought, yet it wasn't only herself she was asking. _I can have faith in myself, can't I?_

**You can, for I have faith in you.**

That was all she needed to hear. Raising her chakram in front of her, the red-colored materia she had equipped there glinted in the flickering light of her lantern, before she extinguished the spell and plunged the tunnel back into darkness, only relieved by the bright glow of the serpents. They weren't the sole light source for long when a different light suddenly shone around Kallie: the light from the runes of a long lost language swirling in the air around her, abruptly fading with a swipe of her arm. Before another moment's breath could pass, however, molten lava suddenly ruptured the rocks beneath their feet, and hell was summoned on earth.

* * *

Loz could not believe that Aurei's idea had actually worked, much less his notion to break through the wall in the first place. It was perhaps the most strenuous thing he had attempted in a while, judging by the soreness in his fists. Looking down at his gloves, he saw, in addition to the scorch marks sustained from the explosion he had somehow managed to survive, that the knuckles had become tattered. Whatever damage he had had to sustain, however, as long as they had been able to make it out in one piece, it was more than worth it.

Indeed, after she had removed her chain from around him and he turned to see how she had fared, Aurei was okay as far as he could tell. True, she hadn't come out completely unharmed: there were small cuts and nicks all over her, probably from before she had been able to implement her shield, her arm was still bleeding where Tseng's bullet had grazed her, and she looked weary overall. It didn't look like anything life-threatening, of course, for she could walk without so much as a stagger, and that was all that mattered to him.

In fact, he was so happy with the way things had turned out that he could actually manage a grin at her, almost chuckling out of giddy relief. Yet, Aurei did not appear to share his relief, for there was one last measure she took to ensure that their pursuers had been stopped in their tracks. Extending a palm towards the debris they had just escaped through, dust still in the air and rocks still either crumbling or tumbling to the floor, she proceeded to coat everything in a multitude of Blizzard spells. Watching her cast spell after spell, he really had to marvel at her ability to use so much magic, especially when it was enough to actually cover the entire pile with a thick layer of ice.

"There…" It appeared that so much magic usage still came with a price, though; her hand dropped heavily to her side as she took a step backward to examine her work. "That should keep them. That ice only melts in the presence of Fire magic as strong as Kallie's."

"Yeah, they'll never get through that!" he agreed brightly, yet his grin that had been broadening all the while suddenly vanished in a single instant. Horrorstruck, he whirled to face the wall, even if he knew it was too late to do anything. "Kallie! _Yazoo!_ What about them? We can't just—!"

"There was nothing we could've done for them in the first place," Aurei interjected quietly, sounding more fatigued than before. "We wouldn't have been able to get them out of that tunnel, much less take them through the debris with us."

"But—" he tried to say, only Aurei held up a weary hand to silence him again.

"Loz, don't worry about them. There is another exit that will allow them to escape from the Mines, and while it might take us a while to reunite, we will be able to proceed on our journey as planned."

He still gazed glumly at the wall of ice and rock, not quite sure if he could believe her. "You… sure?"

"Trust me, I'm sure. Now let's just get out of here as quick as possible. I doubt those serpents will pursue us, as they might only be after Kallie, but let's not take our chances."

Although he nodded in assent without a word, it was still with reluctance that he tore his eyes away from the wall and turned to what lay of the Mines ahead. He was willing to believe Aurei's reassurance that they would all be able to reconvene eventually, and continue with the mission as they had intended, but he couldn't bear the reality that he and his brother were once again separated. Just being apart from him for even a couple of days had been more than he could bear, and who knew if they could actually be reunited?

It wasn't just Yazoo, though, but now Kallie as well… Though he couldn't explain why right then and there, he just knew he had truly come to see her as an ally, a valuable asset, and it pained him to know she would be gone too. All he could hope was that, as much as Kallie and Yazoo despised each other's guts, they would be able to settle their differences, even just for a little bit, and work together in order to escape. Both of them would realize the importance of that, wouldn't they?

_But, I'm not really all that alone this time…_ While he and Aurei made their mad dash towards the exit, he was merely glad that he and Yazoo had decided to place their trust in these girls after all, and even more grateful towards Mother for having chosen them in the first place.

* * *

After ever so reluctantly choosing to take the girl's idea in account, only because he hadn't been able to see any other option, Yazoo had been running along the passageway for quite some time. Other than the fact that it seemed to wind and bend slightly, the path was otherwise quite straightforward. Occasionally, he had stopped to check when it appeared that there was another path that branched off of this one, but it would only turn out to be the way the rocks were shaped. It also grew quite dark the further he went from the light that belonged to the serpents and the girl's fire, until it was nearly pitch black, although that was no issue for him. His slit pupils could function as well as any cat's, if not better, and he could traverse the tunnel with little difficulty.

The only time he found his superior eyesight wasn't required, however, was when, from way down the tunnel, it was as if a volcanic eruption had occurred. The cave rumbled around him, simultaneously accompanied by a blast of heat, the roar of an inferno, and the bright flare from an enormous fire. But, he also clearly heard a deep, thunderous bellow of some great beast, and he knew then exactly what the girl had planned in order to hinder their pursuers.

_She called upon Ifrit to handle them for us. _How appropriate, that she should have chosen the beast of fire as a summon. Having overheard Aurei's tutoring on the usage of summons, he had especially listened in out of curiosity when she had been instructing her sister on how to augment a summon's power with her own, given it was of a corresponding element. Yazoo's only hope was that she would actually be able to perform such an enhancement correctly, for he wasn't interested in recovering her should something go horribly wrong.

Yazoo was just about to proceed along the tunnel when a bout of cool air wafted across his face. For merely a moment he decided to pause, just to savor the feeling of coolness, refreshing after wandering so long through such stuffy, stagnant air. Yet, he had barely breathed it in when he had realized that had been a draft—a draft of fresh air. Inside any sort of underground cavern, only one thing could be the source of that!

Without so much as a second thought, he took off down the passageway, pushing himself to run as fast as the tunnel's confines could possibly allow him. Not even when he encountered a group of Castanets did Yazoo so much as break a stride, merely shooting them all out of his way and continuing to race onwards.

All the while, the further he ran, he began to notice that, slowly but surely, the tunnel seemed to change. The air became less stagnant, and he could start to feel more light, cool breezes across his face; it was even starting to smell fresher, like that of the open outdoors. More notably, though, the tunnel seemed to lighten as he went, and it was getting easier for him to find his way. It was only when he rounded a bend, however, that he almost did abruptly stop at seeing that the mouth of the narrow passageway was dead ahead, through which he could perceive it opening into a much larger space, and from which poured faint, yet clearly evident, rays of sunlight.

Slowing down all the way to a walk, and then finally a complete halt, he did not take his gaze away from the exit the whole while. Still, assuaged though he was that he hadn't been heading straight into a dead end all this time, he knew there was but one person he ought to be feeling grateful towards right now:

_So, that girl was right. She was right all along._

Supposing that he did owe her something after all, grudgingly though he admitted it, Yazoo turned back towards the darkness of the tunnel. Carefully, he listened for the sounds that would indicate Ifrit was doing just as the girl intended it to do, and she was at last making her escape as well. Sure enough, after perhaps only half a minute of straining his ears, he started to hear the far-off sounds of boots pounding down the tunnel in his direction, accompanied by labored panting. It could be the fiery-haired Turk, for all he knew, yet the breathing distinctly belonged to a female, and he doubted the female Turk would have been back on her feet so soon.

Seeing no need to wait for the girl to catch up, Yazoo went on ahead, dashing along the rest of the tunnel, and at last emerged into the much larger space he had noted before. Like the passageway he had just traversed, this part was more than likely manmade as well, yet efforts had been taken to expand it beyond a passageway. At a glance, he estimated it to be about twenty feet in diameter, and sixty feet all the way to the ceiling. The miners had clearly utilized this space, for there were various old tools and mining apparatus strewn about, rusted from years of disuse and exposure to the elements. Yet, all he currently had eyes for was the entrance to the outside, almost directly ahead of him.

Still, even then there had to be yet another obstacle in his flight to freedom, and that happened to be the fact that the doorway was nearly completely boarded up. Some of the planks had fallen away, yet in the gaps that had been left he could see that there was clearly a metal grating of some sort on the other side. Nonetheless, Yazoo felt barely deterred by this obstruction. All he had to do was shoot at the rusted nails that held the rusted boards in place, and they flew off after only a couple of hits—it didn't take long before both nails and boards had all been rid of, and the metal grating was the only thing left.

With those boards gone, the late afternoon sky beyond was even more visible to Yazoo, and he suddenly became even more eager to finally be free of this place. Just as he was preparing to leap to the platform built below the exit, however, that was when the pounding footsteps had arrived in the passageway, and he knew that the girl must have at last caught up.

Turning around once again, it was just as his eyes fell upon the passageway again that the orange-haired girl appeared in the doorway. The sight of her there, however, unexpectedly reminded him of the very first time he had ever seen her: she was completely out of breath, gasping heavily for air, her exhausted face streaked with grime and sweat. The only difference now was that he could say that her fighting skills were no longer the most atrocious thing he had ever seen in a battle.

Of course, Yazoo wasn't about to declare that he liked her any more than he had then, but he would admit that she was at least earning his respect—save for the things he had yet to scorn her for. Even then, though, he decided it still had to wait; making sure their escape was ultimate was still his top priority.

"Ifrit will effectively impede them, I trust?" Yazoo asked the girl, who had now sagged against the doorway, still panting just as hard as before.

"Oh yeah," she told him breathily. "They're not gonna be coming after us anytime soon."

"They had better not," he responded, turning away to again face the exit. Suddenly, however, amid her gasps for air, he heard her snicker.

"Because we actually have a way out after all, huh?" she said, at last straightening up and approaching him, although he didn't have to glance back to know she must be sneering, nor did he want to. "See, I _told_ you there would be an exit! You just had to have some faith in—"

"Silence. Just stay out of the way and let me break the grating down."

"Oh, you're gonna do that for me? How so very nice of you."


	18. Out Of The Frying Pan

_Hidey ho, I'm back with another update! And by the next month as I always promise… barely. -headdesk- I literally just finished this at 3 AM the morning I plan to update, and I'll be busy in the hours before I can update, so I doubt I'll have any time for editing, much less get it back from my beta-reader in time. -headdesks again- So, forgive me for any and all errors you might come across, I'll hopefully have the chance to get to them later._

_Nothing more to say cuz I'm dead tired right now, so blah. Get on with reading the update, you. :P_

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 18**

_Out Of The Frying Pan_

_It… can't be._ What the boy had just told her still seemed to ring in May's ears, while she stared disbelievingly back into those piercing blue eyes. _It just can't be!_

Her shock must have shown through, clear as day, on her face; the boy's smirk simply grew, as if that was the reaction he had been wanting, and he had been delighted to receive it after all.

"That's right, May," affirmed the boy named Raide, clearly aware of what was going through her head. "Maybe we ain't _directly_ related, but the two of us are still family, and that makes _you_ my little cousin."

May vigorously shook her head, the only response she could manage. She just wasn't going to believe it, she just wasn't! Kallie, and this Raide… _siblings?_ Maybe they were half-siblings at that, but still… he was actually considered a part of her family? This boy who had broken into her home? Who had done something terrible to her cousin? Who had taken her _away_ from her loved ones?

Suddenly, May then flinched as the boy thrust his face towards hers, an action he seemed to have grown fond of just to see her reaction. He was crouched down before her, his arms resting on his knees while his eyes never left hers, that smirk never fading.

"Better believe it, little May. Much as I'd love to tell ya, you probably ain't old enough to understand _how_ it all went down, but we're still family all the same."

And for the second time, May again flinched when he unexpectedly tweaked her nose before abruptly straightening up and striding back over to the pile of wood he had assembled in an earthy hearth, constructed in the center of the glade where they had stopped for the night. Rubbing her nose with a slight shudder, she couldn't say she quite liked it when he did that, or when he touched her in any way… It just wasn't the fact that Raide came into such close contact with her, but almost every time he did, it felt like she was receiving some static shock; it was still felt like there was an electrical tingle in her nose right now.

_Something's really not right._ It wasn't as obvious as the silver-haired men's unnatural appearances had been, but the more and more she saw of this boy, the more she got the feeling that he wasn't quite as normal as he looked. Those piercing, icy-blue eyes, his amazing skill with a sword, and that lightning-fast speed sometimes too quick for her eyes to follow… It all seemed to point to something that indicated he was anything but an ordinary boy.

Yet, in spite of those subtle abnormalities, May could say that, slowly but surely… she was actually starting to trust Raide somewhat—compared to those men with silver hair, anyways. It was true… he had been doing things just as horrible in kidnapping her: he still used a foul mouth with little to no discretion, he kept on trying to get close to her just so she would feel uncomfortable, and he wouldn't stop making her fall asleep whenever they neared any sort of settlement. May still felt like his prisoner, especially when he put her to sleep or tied her up, and she still wanted nothing more than to be anywhere but here.

Compared with all the awful stories she had heard about kidnappings, however, she knew it could be worse. Much worse. Raide fed her when she got hungry, gave her water when she was thirsty, and he would free her from those ropes for extended periods of time. More than anything else, though, he was living up to his promise that he wouldn't bring her to harm—simply put, he would never fail to protect her. No matter how many enemies there were or how difficult they appeared to be, if there were any monsters that intended to prey upon May, he would cut them down with little to no effort. No matter the circumstances, she felt _safe_ with him—on some levels anyway.

When he would save her life, though, she couldn't tell if it was because Raide sincerely cared about her well being, or solely because of what he needed to kidnap her for. Her insides told her it was the latter, that he had been given orders by whoever his 'boss' was to bring her back alive, and he could really care less about her otherwise… But, there were also those instances when she would glimpse something like pity or sympathy in his eyes, as if this wasn't something he had wanted to do.

It would be in those moments that she would at last feel some reassurance in his presence, and she would become comfortable enough to again ask why he had to do this. This time, perhaps because she had asked it in a sweet, innocence tone, she had been finally able to get some kind of answer; only, his response wasn't anything like she would have ever expected to hear. She was almost beginning to regret that she had ever sprung the question.

_I really have more family than just Kallie…_ It wasn't only Raide she was speaking of, though. She had yet another cousin, an actual blood relative. Apparently, all this time, Kallie had a long-lost, older sister too.

Even as May reflected back on the name of this sister Raide had given, just how pretty 'Aurei' sounded, disbelief disrupted her pleasant thoughts. She couldn't forget that this wasn't the first time she had been told she had family beyond just Kallie and Daddy. That one fateful night in the forest, that silver-haired boy had said that she, all the kids with Geostigma around her, and he and his brothers were all family; they all shared a single 'Mother'. Saying she was related to the other children with the stigma was one thing, but also to those individuals with silver hair who didn't even look to be _human_?

Shaking her head, May just sighed, curling her knees up against her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She just wasn't sure what to think at all anymore. All that she knew was that she wanted to go home…

Suddenly, she jumped slightly when Raide snickered a few seconds after May had let loose her sigh. In the meantime, he had been lighting some matches to start a campfire, and now that the blaze had started, all he had to do was wait until it would be right for cooking the soup rations that would be their dinner tonight. By looking at his returning smirk, May knew he had seen the opportunity to bewilder her further.

"You really don't believe me, do you, May?" he asked, and May simply wagged her head in response. Chuckling again, Raide turned his gaze away to stoke the fire with a stick. "I don't blame ya, honestly, but hey, now that I'm thinking of it… You just _might_ get the chance to see the proof for yourself."

_See proof… for myself?_ What kind of proof could this boy possibly present that would make her believe he was her half-brother? That she had another direct cousin? Would more family members show up to prove she had more relatives? Maybe she would get to see Kallie's long-lost sister, or—?

And then, for the first time May could recall, in the past few days since she had been spirited away, her spirits were suddenly uplifted. It was as if there had been nothing but dreary, stormy weather outside, and at last the sun had broken through, giving her a ray of hope amid the dark clouds. Had Raide just said… what she thought he said?

"You mean…" She unfurled her knees from her body, sitting forward and eagerly looking at the boy in the face for once. If there were anything she wanted to believe in, it would be that. "You mean… I _can_ see Kallie again?"

Just one haughty peel of laughter from Raide, however, was enough to kill off what little hope she had felt, and make the sun retreat behind the clouds again.

"_See_ her, maybe," he sneered. "But actually _be_ with her, let alone get rescued by her? I ain't counting on it."

This time, however, as May stared back at him, again unwilling to believe her ears, she actually felt _angrier_ than she was scared. What was he saying, that her cousin wouldn't come to her rescue?

"And why not!" Her sudden burst of bravery was enough that she actually rose to her feet, her hands clenching into fists, although she could feel the tears springing to her eyes as well. "Why _can't_ Kallie save me?"

Of course Kallie would! That was what Kallie had always vowed to her, that she would never break the promise they had made to Daddy before he died—she would always come to save her if anything happened! She would do whatever she could to look after her…

For a moment, it looked as though Raide was actually been taken aback by her outburst, for it had been the first time she had ever given such a vehement defiance. Expectedly, however, whatever surprise had been on his face was soon replaced with a condescending smile.

"Why can't she?" he repeated, also getting to his feet so he could tower above her again. May tried not to falter before him, but it was hard to stand her ground under that intense gaze of his. "She won't, because me and my boss ain't gonna _let_ her. I told you, May, we _need_ you; it won't do us a lot of good if Kallie's able to take you back, y'know?"

"N-no." May defiantly shook her head. "I… I don't care about what you need with me. I just… I just wanna go home!"

The whole while, May had been fighting to restrain her sobs, to not break down in front of him, yet it was all for naught. Overwhelmed with her desire to return to normalcy, to her life in Edge, and to be with Kallie once again, one tear slid down her cheek, and then she could no longer hold back from there. Not one day had gone by where May hadn't thought of home and cried, and this was no exception as she fell to her knees, weeping uncontrollably into her hands. As ever, Raide's only response to such breakdowns was nothing that could comfort her, such as a mere sigh that he had made her cry, or a failed attempt to make her feel better.

"Listen, kid." Though his tone was quieter and gentler than before, he still sounded exasperated. "It ain't gonna be that bad without your cousin, really. My boss promised she'd take real good care of you once I got you to her, and before y'know it, you ain't gonna be missing home at all!"

The mere notion just made her cry harder, and she heard Raide give an even heavier sigh, before he again rose to his feet, approaching her yet again. With a slight gasp, May fell back onto her rump, scrambling away from him—she didn't want this boy to get closer than he already was. As always, however, it would barely help, for he again kneeled down next to her.

Yet, May was startled when he put a hand on her shoulder and wiped away a trail of tears with gloved fingers. What was more, for once she hadn't felt that energy current race through her whenever he touched her; his touch, instead of being rough, had actually been gentle as well. Daring to make eye contact with him, she was even more surprised to see that Raide actually looked… apologetic.

"Look, May… I'm sorry," he said quietly. It was certainly alleviating for her to see Raide in one of his more sympathetic moments, and she barely flinched this time when he dried her other cheek. "It's just that… if I don't do this, I'll never…"

But there, his sentence trailed off as his gaze fell to the ground, lingering there for a few seconds, and May could have sworn she saw his lip twitch, as if he himself was trying to hold back tears. Then, she jumped again when he gave a sudden snarl of anger and wrenched himself away, straightening back up and stalking back towards the fire, which had now reached a decent height.

"I'll put the soup on now." His voice had grown rigid, his words quite stilted as he crouched next to the fire, beginning to set up the pot. "Maybe that'll make ya feel better."

Then, there was silence between them once more, save for the crackle and pop of the flames. After his unanticipated actions and his abrupt mood swings, it had caused her to stop crying, though she really couldn't say she felt any better. She couldn't decide if she wanted to accept the boy's apology or believe that he had meant it, as much as she wished she could.

No matter what were his real intentions, however… she wasn't going to believe him if he said she wasn't ever going to be with Kallie again. She would never, _ever_ believe that she would be happier with someone other than Kallie. Her cousin had always promised she would be with her, and she had been the only person who had ever made her truly happy, now that Daddy was gone…

_Kallie… we won't be apart forever, right?_ May's thoughts were distant, her eyes absentmindedly watching the boy as he started to open the cans of soup, pouring the contents into the pot. _You'll really come save me, right? You said that you would… You promised you would._

**(BREAK HERE.)**

"What're we gonna do now, Aurei?"

Although Loz was able to ask that with little to no effort, being barely winded on his part, Aurei couldn't reply straightaway because of how hard she was panting, still in great need to catch her breath. Never had he seen her so obviously exhausted, but then again, both of them had been running nonstop for what had felt like at least half an hour. Such paces were never tiring to Loz, as was almost any strenuous physical activity, and given how strong Aurei had proven herself to be, he thought the same would go for her.

But, maybe that was only with magic. When the two of them had at last escaped the Mythril Mines, their flight hadn't ceased until they had left the exit far behind, and at last Aurei had come to a halt, wordlessly implying they had gone far enough. There, she immediately slumped against a nearby tree, needing to cling with one hand on a branch for support, heaving breath after breath. Her chain-sickle slipped from her grip, the blade landing point first in the dirt. For a moment, her fingers twitched as if in a weak attempt to pick it back up, yet she stayed where she was.

Aurei's halt had been so abrupt Loz had nearly kept on racing ahead, caught in an almost hypnotic, rhythmic pace, until he had realized that her footfalls had stopped. He had then hastened to stop as well, skidding several feet before he was able to come to a halt. After eying her weariness with great surprise, then inquiring what was next to which she still hadn't responded, he was now took the time to fully examine their new surroundings.

This side of the Mythril Mines was evidently much more rocky and forested, for there were boulders and trees everywhere he looked—tall ones too, unlike the stunted appearance of growth on the Midgar Marshes' side. The trail that they currently stood upon was at a steep incline, and it had been at this point that they had almost been leaping instead of running down the mountainous path, if they wanted to keep their footing. While Loz couldn't estimate exactly how far they had gone, it was a couple of miles, for the Mines had long been left behind.

Looking at how low the sun in the sky was, it didn't surprise him that they had been inside of the Mythril Mines for so long: it was almost early evening now, for the sun was starting to paint the landscape in a faint sheen of golden orange. Having been wandering within such an enclosed space, with no way to see the sky or the sun, it almost felt as though some sort of time skip had occurred. Loz could definitely say, though, that it was both a comfort and a relief to finally see the sun again. After that encounter with the Turks and their strange, new allies, he had believed he might have never been able to again.

_But, we made it out._ Alive, and in one piece—just without Yazoo or Kallie.

Being separated from his brother and newfound comrade was the only thing Loz wasn't happy about right now, and the only thing that kept him from celebrating their escape. It had taken every once of self-control to not turn back and attempt to save Kallie and Yazoo, for he well knew Aurei was right—there was nothing he could have done to help them. He knew that they could make it out too, for Aurei had reassured him of that, yet he wished he could see for himself they were going to be okay.

Hence, his impatience to reunite with them was why Loz had immediately inquired what was their next move would be, even when he had seen just how out of breath Aurei was. A minute had gone by with her still slumped against the tree, still gasping for breath, although not as heavily now. At last, after nearly another minute had gone by, Aurei took a gulp of air and pushed herself away from the tree. While she still leaned against its trunk, she didn't appear to be relying upon it as heavily now to support herself, although she wasn't bothering to pick up her weapon yet.

Hoping that she was at last recovered enough to speak, he instantly again asked, "So, what now? We're gonna meet up with Yazoo and Kallie, right?"

"I'm… afraid not."

Just like that, Loz's enthusiasm plummeted even more—in fact, he was almost angry with her for even suggesting something like that! "Why… why _not?_"

"Because…" Her face creased momentarily with pain as the injury on her arm from Tseng's bullet brushed the tree. "Because we still need to get away as far as we can… as fast as we can… to ensure the Turks or their new assistants won't catch up. Trying to… reunite with Kallie and Yazoo now… wouldn't be a wise move, and they'll be smart enough… to realize that too."

"But—" he tried to say, yet stopped and sighed; again, Aurei was right. She had probably only stopped now because she needed a rest, and they would most likely be on their way again in a minute or two. Loz still couldn't say he liked the idea, but again, there was nothing he could do about it. Instead, he nodded, though still rather glumly. "Okay… Let's get going, then."

"Before we do, though… there's one thing I need to do." Finally picking up her chain-sickle and hanging it in its usual coil from her belt, she then took out a cellular phone. "I must contact my father. He has to know… that our situation has become much more complicated."

Loz blinked, for that was the last thing he would have expected her to say, yet couldn't find any way to question it. Merely rubbing the back of his neck, he leaned back against another nearby tree, hearing the beeps from the phone as Aurei dialed her father's number and then held the device to her ear. After a short period of silence, it began to ring; Aurei actually started shifting her feet, anxious for her father to pick up. At last, the ringing stopped, and a familiar man's voice hesitantly came through.

"Hello…? Aurei, is this you?"

"Yes, Father. It's me."

"Oh, Aurei, it's so good to hear your voice again! Gracious knows I've missed you… But… what's wrong? What happened? You sound _exhausted_. Is everything all right? Is… Kallie all right?"

"Yes, Kallie is fine… as far as I'm aware. We've been separated, I'm afraid."

"Separated_?_"

"Yes, our group… ended up separated in the Mythril Mines. I'm with Loz right now, and Kallie is with Yazoo. I… I don't have time to give the full details right now, but Father… you must leave. You have to hide somewhere, someplace that's safer than home."

"But…" The father's tone was full of disconcertion. "Goodness, Aurei, what on _earth_ happened? Why should I hide? What's happened to you that will threaten me as well?"

"Father, we had a run-in with the Turks. Yes… the same Turks of Shinra."

There was nothing but silence on the father's end, save for a faint gasp of alarm.

"And yes, the one who came to visit us three years ago was still among them. He recognized me, I'm absolutely sure of it. You know what that means, Father."

Silence still. He did know what that meant.

"If we manage to fully elude them, then they'll take any lead they can… and go straight to you. I don't know what they'd do, but… Father, you _must_ go somewhere else. Besides, for whatever reason I couldn't garner from them, they're on a mission… to capture Kallie."

"To capture… _Kallie?_" Now the man truly sounded distraught. "Why? Why are they after her?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I can only surmise it's because of the materia, however they found out about it. But, Father, please!" Loz had never heard Aurei sound so worried or desperate. "I beg of you, go somewhere safer! I know there's nothing I can do from here, but I… I can't bear… the thought of those people capturing you too. They would use you as ransom, I know it."

"Aurei…" His voice was shaky, his words hesitant as he tried to find a response to this revelation; he didn't sound well now. "Aurei, I… I can't believe this. I…"

"Father, you must." Aurei seemed to have finally gotten a hold of herself again, although her immense concern was still prevalent. "I know that this is so sudden, but please, find someplace else to stay, until this is all over."

A gulp came from his end. "All… All right, Aurei. I will try to arrange to leave as soon as possible. I believe that there is someplace I can go for the time being, where they won't be likely to find me. But, Aurei…" His voice wavered, far more than before. "Aurei…"

"Father…?" Aurei wasn't the only one who felt concerned about her father's weakening voice, however; even Loz became troubled by how he was coming through. He was really starting to sound worse. "Father, are you…?"

Yet, she trailed off when her father uttered a sound that seemed similar to her name, shortly followed by a groan and a loud clattering sound. What appeared to have been the phone dropping to the floor was promptly accompanied by a thud, another groan from the father, and then neither heard him again.

"_Father!_" Already bewildered by what was going on, Loz almost didn't realize it was Aurei shrieking so frantically. "Father, talk to me, _please_! Are you all right?"

Her already evident panic only escalated when they still heard no further response from her father, until hurried footsteps were suddenly heard on his end. There was a pause, during which they both breathlessly waited as they listened to the unidentifiable sounds of some sort of movement, as well as someone saying the father's name. After nearly half a minute, just when Aurei was about to say something into the mouthpiece, it sounded as though someone picked up the phone, and then an unfamiliar woman's voice came through.

"Hello? Is anyone still—?"

"Yes," Aurei answered at once. "My father, is he all right?"

"Oh, you must be Emery's daughter. Yes, please don't fret—your father has collapsed, but it doesn't look too serious. He should come around in a minute or so. I'll take care of him straightaway."

There was nothing but utter relief on Aurei's part, so much so her reply almost sounded even more fatigued than she had been before. "And this must be Bertha… Father told me you'd be staying with him."

"Yes, and he is truly fortunate I am here. Your absence hasn't been easy on his already fragile state, I'm afraid; he seems to be worried about you every waking moment."

Regret, nearly equal to the panic that had shown on Aurei's face before, appeared to overwhelm her now. It looked as though she wished to say something, only she quietly sighed instead, and replied differently. "I am completely grateful that you are able to look after him, Bertha. But, I'm in a hurry right now and can't afford to talk for much longer. Besides, you need to tend to my father as quick as possible."

"Of course, I won't hold you up any longer. I'll call later and let you know how he is. Take care, Aurei."

"Thank you, Bertha."

When the call had ended, however, Aurei remained staring for a while at the flashing minutes on the screen that indicated how long the call had lasted. Her gaze was still silently downcast towards the ground while she hit the 'End' button, stowing it away in one of the pouches on her belt. At last sighing, shaking her head slightly, she then wordlessly started forward on the path again, so unexpectedly Loz almost didn't follow right away. Though he hastened to do so, he halted once more upon seeing Aurei had again stopped in her tracks.

"Aurei…?" But, he trailed off. He was confused enough about how concerned he happened to feel about Aurei and Kallie… yet he felt the same about their father too? What reason did he have to ask if their father was going to be okay? "What… happened?"

"After all that's happened…" Aurei replied, after a few more moments of prolonged silence. "I guess you deserve to know about my father, about his true condition… and about why I've undertaken this journey in the first place."

Loz stiffened, thoroughly thrown off guard. Of all the things he would have ever expected her to talk about, it would never have been something as personal as that. If there had been anybody who would have been the first to hear what she was about to reveal, excluding her sister, it would have been Yazoo. After that poor excuse for an interrogation, Loz would have never believed he would ever get anything so confidential out of her—ever.

_Yazoo's not gonna believe this…_ Was she really about to reveal the information she had been so taciturn about all this time? Something that could give him more insight about her past, and her reasons for being here at all?

"Just as a foreword, I'm not asking for your sympathy by telling you this." She still hadn't turned back around. "I've no need for sympathy. I am merely telling you this because it's important for you to know, and I see no harm in revealing such information… unless you choose to exploit it against me."

The icy manner in which she intoned that last sentence sent a chill even through his hardened nerves, for he knew that whatever threat she made she wouldn't hesitate to follow through with. Without Yazoo here, could he still stand a chance against her by himself? It would probably only be whenever Aurei was as weak as she was now, but he had no interest in trying his luck at the current moment.

"I won't." That was still an earnest statement, though.

Though Aurei merely grunted in response, she then turned about, albeit not entirely facing him, and leaned back against a tall, protruding boulder nearby; Loz likewise leaned back against a tree that was behind him. It took her several moments before she finally began.

"Everything I am doing, I would say… is because of my father's health. Why he fainted, however, wasn't entirely because he was stressed or overwhelmed by what I told him. Those are… usually just factors."

"Does he… have the stigma?"

"No… It's an unidentifiable disease he's had for years—ever since he was a young man. Whatever it is, it simply causes him to lose energy; simple physical activities that an average person would have no problem with can thoroughly tire him. In recent years especially… it's gotten to the point where he can be bedridden for days.

"This past week, thankfully, has been one of his better weeks, but… it often gets much worse than this. I doubt the excitement over the past couple of days has helped much either."

Having heard Aurei's father collapsing had bothered him enough to begin with, but hearing the full reason behind it all made him feel even more perturbed than before. He shouldn't have been surprised, though: from what he had seen of the man, of how weak and frail he had appeared to be, Loz should have realized he hadn't been in the best of health. The whole while, Aurei hadn't looked at him once; her gaze fixated was downwards like before, and her voice was unusually controlled. Although, he noted it didn't stay that way for long—some of her prior, tense emotions were starting to seep through again.

"All of my life, I have… watched him battle and suffer under the weight of this disease. Nothing has helped to alleviate even the symptoms; I never dared to hope we would find a cure. I grew up knowing he was weak and crippled. Even though he fought with the best of his ability, I knew he couldn't possibly last, and all I ever wanted… was to see him well again.

"But then… the day came when my ice powers were awakened protecting my father from a Kalm Fang attack, and… my mentor showed up not long afterwards."

That was when Loz's heart gave a thump. Already, he had been moved beyond his expectations, especially once the emotions had begun to escalate in her words—anger, fear, and sorrow she must have been suppressing for so long. The biggest shock, though, had come at the mention of her mentor: the one person Yazoo had been the most curious about all this time.

"He came to me, telling me he had searching for someone like me for so long. Because he knew everything about my powers, he proceeded to instruct me in their proper utilization. Even though he's deceased now, I continue to follow his instruction, because… if I could become a warrior and carry out his wishes, then he told me I might possibly be able to find a way to cure my father's illness."

So, that was the reason. Loz couldn't believe he was hearing this. That was the reason for it all.

"Therefore… whatever my mentor's wishes required of me, whatever he would have had me do… I will not hesitate to do it. Whatever it takes to finally see my father happy and healthy at last, it will all be worth it, even if it means—"

Yet, it was there that Aurei abruptly halted, her mouth still slightly open as if the word was still on the tip of her tongue, and it had only occurred to her then that she had said too much. Though her mouth closed, Loz could see her lips tightening into thin lines, like she was battling back the urge to complete her sentence. In the end, it was her reticence that won out, and he would never know what she had been about to say.

"That's enough." Tearing herself away from the tree, she continued down the path with even more apparent fatigue. "You've heard all you need to know."

Despite what eagerness Loz had felt prior to her divulgence, it was like it had been completely sucked out of him. Even though Aurei had broken into a slight jog again, all Loz was doing now was simply standing there, staring after her in stunned bewilderment. Never had Aurei uttered so much as even a breath of her past to him, let alone anyone in the group. All of a sudden, he felt as though he knew her life's story now: at least, why she had become such a hardened, stoic warrior.

Yet, what was perplexing him most of all at the moment was just… the emotions welling inside of him right now. Particularly when she had spoken of how she had watched helplessly as her father struggled with his disease… he had actually felt like crying. Her pain, as much as she had tried to conceal it… he had been able to feel it. It just affected him so deeply, to think of what she had been going through her entire life…

And that was what had him so confused right now. Aside from his brothers and Mother, he couldn't have cared less about the other souls existing on this earth—until he had met Aurei and Kallie. It was astounding enough to think that he had met them only the day before yesterday, and already they were both having such an impact on him… yet he would have never imagined being affected to this degree.

This feeling… was this what they called sympathy? To be feeling sad about the troubles of someone other than himself? It was the one thing Aurei hadn't asked for, and yet he was experiencing it regardless… Was this something he should be feeling about others?

_I don't know…_ Loz wasn't sure what to make of this situation anymore. It would be better to think about reuniting with Kallie and Yazoo, and at last finding Mother in Junon, where she said she would be waiting. At least his mission was the one thing that was certainly crystal clear to him.

**(BREAK HERE.)**

Despite the sarcasm in her retort, Kallie had truthfully been quite grateful that Yazoo had 'volunteered' to break the grating down for them, because she seriously felt as though she might collapse right then and there. Though she tried to stay on her feet, to not give into her fatigue in Yazoo's presence, eventually she did, sagging back against the wall behind her. Closing her eyes, she merely listened to the flap of Yazoo's jacket as he leapt into the air, followed by a short cry of exertion and an impact against metal, then a loud, rusty creaking.

Realizing it didn't sound as though he had broken through, Kallie opened her eyes then just as he was somersaulting back, skidding to a halt. Indeed, from a glance at the grating, it was bent in, though it hadn't been busted completely yet. All it took, however, was one more charge from Yazoo, and it was with a loud groan that the grating fell away.

Coming again to a skidding halt, Kallie could not help but note how much more relaxed Yazoo appeared to be, now that the only remaining obstacle was at last out of their way. His shoulders rose up and down slightly to breathe a sigh of relief, before he again strode forward. Without so much as a glance back at her, he leapt to the landing and walked out of sight.

Giving herself a few more moments to catch her breath, at last she removed herself from the wall and approached the exit. The landing before it was about twenty or so feet off the ground, with a metal and wood ladder attached to the stony wall that led up to it, and Kallie had to debate which would be more taxing: climbing the ladder, or performing an amazing leap like Yazoo's to reach the platform.

But, she didn't have to ponder for long before deciding she'd had enough of extraordinary feats for today; she didn't care how pathetic she might come off as being to Yazoo. Attaching her chakrams to her belt, she proceeded to scale the ladder, praying that it wasn't so old and rusted it wouldn't be able to support her weight. Fortunately, though it creaked and rattled ominously, the ladder held, and Kallie was finally able to clamber onto the landing. Dusting herself off, she heaved the umpteenth deep breath, and marched out into the clear, open air.

Kallie didn't get far, however, before her foot got caught on the fallen metal grating. She probably would have been capable of righting herself, if it weren't for how weak and wobbly her legs were. They were more at fault than the grating was as she stumbled, her knees buckling beneath her, and she was barely able to catch herself from falling flat on her face. Cursing and rubbing her knee where it had struck the rocky ground, she rose rather unsteadily to her full height while taking a look at her new surroundings.

Although she had feared that this exit might have lead them back to the side of the Midgar Marshes, it was an immense relief to see that it looked absolutely nothing like the sparse vegetation they had left behind. Here, it was completely forested, with a steep slope comprised of large boulders that formed a sort of path. Looking about to see where her least favorite silver-haired man had gotten to, she found he was already a ways down the path, holstering his firearm while he gazed out across the novel landscape.

Upon hearing her stagger out and fall, however, he had turned to look back at her, his face showing faint traces of disdain. With a growl, Kallie forced herself to forget her weariness, mustering what energy she could to straighten up completely and walk to where he stood waiting for her, although she still stumbled against a boulder when her legs wavered beneath her again.

"It sure is nice to be outta that hell-hole, huh?" she asked, hoping to intone spitefulness despite how out of breath she still was.

Expectedly, Yazoo scoffed quietly before looking away from her. Yes, he was probably gladder than anything to be free of that hell-hole but, as ever, he wasn't going to admit it to her face. While Kallie should have experienced enough of this crap from him to be tolerant of it by now, she was really sick of having to deal with it all the time—especially when she had every right for him to thank her.

"You just _love_ being in denial, don't you? You really just can't get over the fact that a _girl_ saved your neck more than once, can you?" Naturally, he kept on ignoring her, and so she sighed. "Well, next time you're about to get your ass kicked, remind me _not_ to help you out. In fact, maybe next time when that happens, I'll just sit back and laugh while you're getting the shit knocked outta—"

"And yet, you seem to forget that you were already doing that in the first place."

Kallie flinched; she had completely forgotten about her stretch of indecision while she had watched those serpents trying to kill Yazoo. What was worse, he really had probably seen her as well, given how he was staring at her now, cold fury in his eyes. Having rarely seen him in any sort of anger, if at all, she was taken aback, and he at last took the opportunity to give her that reprimand he had been saving all this time.

"Don't think I didn't see you standing there, being nothing more than a cowardly bystander and doing absolutely nothing to assist me." He really _was_ angry with her. His air of self-possession was still definitely there, of course, yet it was as if he was barely keeping his ire contained. "You clearly had all the time in the world to provide some sort of aid, if you were so keen to help me, but you didn't. Were you too afraid to be caught up in a perilous situation, or were you _reconsidering_ your ties to our alliance?"

The latter remarks had landed a blow and Yazoo knew it, for she flinched yet again; he wasn't about to give her a chance to defend herself.

"And don't assume that is all I'm vexed about with you. We might never have even encountered those pests in the first place if you hadn't alerted the public about my presence in Edge."

That accusation was more than enough to make Kallie overcome her fluster. "How the hell can you say that's how they were able to find us? They could've easily found out about you being alive some other way!"

Kallie wasn't as vehement with her defense as she would have been otherwise, however. Inside, something was telling her she really might be at fault for having blown their cover, that one of those people who had seen them had gone and reported that one of the silver-haired men really wasn't dead. It had been too naïve of her to believe that all those people would stay quiet about it somehow, someway…

Sensing that his points against her had all struck home so far, Yazoo wasn't about to end his scolding there; he continued as if there had been no interruption. "Now, thanks to that, we are completely separated from Loz and Aurei, with absolutely no way of locating them again. Did you really _not_ consider that would happen?"

_Not like it was my idea in the first place…_ She wasn't about to tell him that a voice had given her that idea, though, for he would be even more unlikely to believe that; he would probably even think her crazy. Who knew, maybe she was starting to be at this point.

"Y'know, things could be a hell of a lot worse right now!" It was another unfair accusation she wasn't about to let pass by. "For all we know, you could've been shredded by those monsters and the damn Turks would have captured me… even though I still don't know why the _hell_ they want me."

"Nor do I. But regardless, you have certainly provided even more complications."

Having been running a hand through her hair at that point, pondering then what could have been the Turks' reasons for singling her out, Kallie's hazel eyes then flicked to Yazoo. It had just occurred to her why he just wouldn't shut up and say a simple thank you—something even his far more immature brother had been able to say.

"You know what?" she growled to him in a much lower, yet far more dangerous tone of voice. Her frustration was feeding her the energy to at last stand on her own two legs, without staggering or wavering. "You're just making up excuses to be pissed at me, aren't you? _All_ so you don't have to go the trouble of thanking me and admitting I'm actually useful. Get real, we wouldn't even be having this _stupid_ argument if I hadn't known the way out!"

"And I would have nothing to reprimand you about, were it not for the fact you cannot accept your place."

"Know _my_ place?" Huffing, she put her hands on her hips indignantly. "Speak for yourself, you're not in any better of a position than I am!"

When Yazoo merely tilted his head at her, silently challenging her statement, the anger boiled to a crescendo within her. She was on the verge of making another retort, yet she stopped, and instead tried to calm herself. Throwing a fit clearly wasn't working against the always incredibly indifferent and aloof Yazoo, so perhaps a change in tactics was in order.

"Okay, let's try something different here," said Kallie with a much more controlled air, clapping her hands together. "Since there's no Aurei around to stop our bickering, _I'll_ try being the peacemaker. How about this? I'll apologize for _every_ little blunder I made today, and then you give a simple thank you for the good things that I did do." She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry for having screwed up things so badly, and whatever else you're angry at me for. I _deeply_ apologize. Now, your turn."

He just stared her way for a long moment, barely moving from his previous spot, until he closed his eyes in exasperation. "I think not."

And Kallie's brief self-control went down the drain. "And _why_ not!"

"You still don't deserve my appreciation, that's why, and I doubt you ever will." At last, he turned away from her and began to walk down the steep path. "Now if you're not so weak after all, then get going. I tire of lingering when we have searching to do."

His refusal was more than enough to revitalize her strength, and she had no issue with immediately storming after him—if only because she was hell-bent on getting her point across. "Just shut up, 'cuz you don't know what the hell you're talking about! I've been clearly working my ass off all day, and I haven't been doing it for nothing. I deserve even an ounce of appreciation for all that, even from a douche like you! You know what _you_ need to do? You need to swallow your damn pride for once, or I'll shove it down your throat for you!"

While Yazoo had to commend the girl for her boldness, he laughed nonetheless. "Just try me, girl."

And that was the snapping point for her. If anything could top off her infuriation, it would be the fact that he still insisted on calling her _'girl'_. Because he was already ahead of her, especially with his long strides, Kallie broke into a faster pace so she could catch up with him, retaliating all the while and paying no mind to anything else. "And for the last goddamn time, call me by my real name: it's Kallie! It's not that hard to say! _Kall_—!_"_

She had almost caught up to him. She had almost come level with him, more than ready to continue her tirade right to his face. Yet, she never got the chance to, because for the second time in such a short period, she tripped. This time, instead of stumbling over a metal grating, it was a stupid tree root, which she had failed to notice was protruding so conveniently in her path. And this time, she didn't hit the ground. Instead, she managed to catch herself on something solid—something that was _very_ solid, and leathery.

For a few very long, long moments, the two were simply frozen, stock-still, in place there. Yazoo had come to a complete halt, though only because Kallie had fallen against him, unintentionally clinging to him for support. They remained like that long enough for her to register exactly where she was, and then she received a shove below her collarbone, causing her to stagger a few feet backwards.

The move was so swift, Kallie barely had any extra time to prepare herself; her improved reflexes wouldn't have helped much, for it was as if they had been shut off in all her fatigue. While it wouldn't have been strong enough other to knock her to the ground, with her legs being as wobbly as they were she fell back onto her rump anyways. As she was attempting to recover from the unexpected shock of having fallen, she looked up to see Yazoo lowering the arm that had pushed her away, glaring at her with nothing but fury and repulsion. Then, with a vigorous, offended turn of his head, he strode away without another word, his strides clearly more brisk than before.

_Goddamn, that didn't just happen…_

It had been worse enough that, just when she thought she had won his respect, Kallie had gotten onto his bad side _again_. Now, the most mortifying thing that could have happened had just happened, and there was no forgetting her first real physical contact with him—or how he had so violently repelled her, or that face of absolute disgust after he had shoved her away.

It was the best ending to a day ever. She was tired, she was hungry, her body hurt all over, they were separated from their comrades, and now she had no choice but to travel with one pissed off silver-haired man who wouldn't even want to look at her for the next twenty-four hours.

_Why did have to get stuck with __**you**__, you creep?_ As willing as Kallie was to endure anything to see May again, it was times like these that made her wonder if there was simply another way.

**(BREAK HERE.)**

Once that orange-haired girl had summoned Ifrit, and once Reno realized that it was a ridiculously powerful Ifrit, he knew he was positively screwed over. Just like he had run away with Rude at the sight of Bahamut SIN, he was hauling ass out of that tunnel faster than someone could say 'shit.' Even the weird serpents that had proved so effective against that damned remnant somehow couldn't stand up against the firepower of this Ifrit; despite their numbers, it was mowing them down like they were nothing more than blades of overgrown grass. They also weren't slowing down the fire beast in the slightest, and it was a wonder that Reno was able to outrun it at all. He didn't need to glance back, that was for sure, since all he had to do was feel Ifrit's overwhelming heat or its blasts of fire to know it was behind him still.

On he ran, yet it wasn't only his life he was thinking of: he had to get Elena to safety too, and simply thinking of how helpless she had to be right now made him pick up the pace. When she at last came into his sight, he could see that she had managed to hoist herself onto her feet, yet was clinging to the wall with her good arm for support. He was amazed that she was able to stand at all, yet he doubted she would in good enough condition to flee on her own.

"Reno!" she shouted, over the roar of Ifrit's inferno and out of sheer alarm at the sight of the summon. "Reno, what—?"

Not sparing any breath to explain, nor would he have had enough air to, Reno merely scooped up Elena in his arms as fast as he could and continued on running. Thankfully, with Elena as light as she was, she was hardly a burden to him and barely slowed him down. Yet, while he kept his gaze trained on the tunnel ahead, he could see Elena glancing back at their fiery pursuer, her amber eyes full of terror.

"Reno, I know this is heroic and all, but we can't run this way!" she cried to him. "The tunnel comes to a dead end, and then we'll just be sitting ducks!"

"Y'mean _roasted_ sitting ducks," Reno hissed under his breath.

Nonetheless, he finally glanced back as well at the Ifrit that was giving chase, and he was even more dispirited to see that the strange, serpentine allies had ceased to appear. There was absolutely nothing standing in the way of the summon anymore, and Reno suddenly felt all the more vulnerable. If what Elena had said was true, and they were heading for nothing more than a dead end, then they were really screwed for certain.

The thought of being cornered and burned alive without a fight, however, was something Reno didn't want to think of. Maybe he was going to be renowned for having died because he was being so heroically stupid, but that was certainly a better fate than dying as a coward. As he suddenly came screeching to a halt, Elena expectedly stared at him like he was crazy, which he probably was for doing this.

"Reno, what're you—?"

"Elena, I'm sorry…" His voice was solemn as he put her back on her feet, not sure if he could look her straight in the face for leaving her like this. "But, I ain't gonna have us trapped and roasted alive by some souped up summon. Get someplace safe for me, 'kay?"

"You're… You're gonna fight that thing _alone?_ No, don't, Reno! I don't want you to—!"

"Does it look like we've got a choice?" he snapped back at her. "This is probably gonna be one of the stupidest things I'll ever do in my career, but maybe I can still do some damage, yo?"

Biting her lip, her eyes began to glisten with tears at the thought that she might actually lose someone today. "Reno…"

Yet, the sorrowful exchange was interrupted when shimmering, blue-white light suddenly fell upon them, and a loud, rumbling sound of stone came from above. Looking up simultaneously, they gasped upon seeing the rocks that had plugged up the crevice being pushed aside by blue-white light; not a moment later, two figures dropped one after the other through the cleared space, landing before Ifrit.

Straightening up from the plummet, Rude and Tseng looked as though they had had their fair share of a battle, though the fight hadn't been driven out of them just yet. Unwaveringly, they faced the beast of fire, which had halted in its advance, its scarlet eyes staring back at them with a ferocious, burning gaze. As much as Reno had been willing to confront Ifrit by himself, he had to say he felt a lot more confident now that his comrades were here as well. Looking back at Elena, she looked just as relieved by their presence, yet she was still quite fearful for the turnout of the battle.

"It'll be okay," Reno told her, though he wasn't entirely convinced himself. Giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, he turned and ran to join the other Turks.

"I thought you'd still be alive and kicking," grunted Rude once Reno had arrived at their side.

"Y'kidding?" panted Reno. "Partner, you know better than anyone I'm always gonna be alive and kicking ass even in the most hopeless situations."

"What uplifting optimism," Tseng commented, reloading his gun without taking his eyes off of Ifrit; it was evident he was fighting every urge to look back at Elena in concern, though. He was probably overwhelmed with gladness that she was all right.

"You can always count on me, chief!" Although, Reno didn't quite mention the notion it might be the last time Tseng could rely on him. "I think this one's gonna be a doozy, though."

"Nothing's ever a doozy for us Turks," was Rude's response.

But, as if to challenge that declaration, the great fire beast suddenly bellowed. The inferno surrounding it subsequently flared to double the intensity, and they stumbled backwards at the blast of heat. Though they readied themselves for its next attack, the Turks couldn't ignore the swirling mass of flames it had enveloped itself in, building with every passing moment, and they were all too familiar with this summon's attacks to know what that meant. Even as they retreated backwards to get away from the beast's overwhelming heat, they knew it would all be in vain— especially in the tunnel's tight confines, there was no possible way to evade its ultimate attack, Hellfire.

"This is how it'll all end, huh?" was what Tseng believed his final words would be, and which the others probably hadn't even been able to hear over the roar of the fire. _The last Turks of Shinra, incinerated by the powers of a girl we underestimated._

As the inferno escalated to its peak, coalescing into one huge fireball around Ifrit, it unleashed a mighty roar and rushed like a rocket towards them. Yet, as they were bracing themselves for their fiery doom, preparing to be incinerated alive, they weren't quite expecting the enormous explosion of blue-white light right before them. The explosion was so massive, it made the cave walls quake, and all the Turks—even Elena, who was farther back than any of them—were hurtled off their feet, temporarily stunned. When they at last regained their senses enough to pick themselves back up, wondering why the heat seemed to have been suddenly extinguished, they looked to see exactly what their unknown ally had done for them this time, and their jaws all dropped.

At first glance, it seemed that it was a multitude of serpents, far more numerous than any number that had been summoned so far. Once they were able to properly discern the near-blinding mass of blue-white light, they instead saw that it was a single, yet _enormous_ serpent that had appeared. Like all its smaller predecessors, its body sprouted from the earth with no apparent tail, but this one was so large, it couldn't possibly be completely contained inside the tunnel. In fact, it had to curl its body around several times if it could hope to fit, and it just so happened that it had Ifrit within its coiled confines, gripping it as a python might.

Hellfire had somehow been completely wiped away, with barely any traces of fire save for what still clung to Ifrit. The fire beast was making a clear struggle to free itself from its captor, feebly attempting to move its limbs that were practically immobilized by the serpent's coils. With every little movement Ifrit made, however, the serpent would simply tighten its constricting hold, and its victim would bellow in evident pain.

Hope didn't seem to be entirely lost for the fire summon, though: all the while, it was steadily rebuilding its inferno, as if attempting to resume the Hellfire it had been interrupted from. Massive and powerful though the serpent was, Ifrit's rekindled flames were slowly eating away at its blue-white bulk, and it seemed to realize it couldn't continue to constrict the beast like this. As brilliant blue-white fire began to spill from its maw, it suddenly went in for the kill, clamping its jaws tightly around Ifrit's head.

For a few seconds, Ifrit convulsed, giving one last, wounded bellow, and then the inferno it had been building up to that point was abruptly released all at once. Fortunately, the Turks had been able to foresee that, whatever the serpent had planned, it was to have devastating results, and they had already been running as far away as they possibly could. It was a wise move on their behalf, for what resulted was far more explosive than the serpent's initial summoning had been. Despite their distance from the combined explosion of fire and blue-white light, the Turks were once again hurled to the ground; Tseng had been able to reach Elena, however, and managed to throw himself around her prone form, shielding her from the worst of the blast.

As quickly as it had all happened, however, it was all over. Near total darkness suddenly filled the tunnel again, and it became deathly silent, save for their deep, shuddering breaths while they gradually recuperated from the ordeal. Reno was the first to rise to his feet, turning to survey what had become of the two summons: wisps of blue-white and bits of flame drifting to the ground, fading into nothingness before his own eyes. Then, his legs abruptly gave out beneath him, and he fell forward onto his hands and knees, never having panted so hard in his entire life.

"Shit, _shit…_ tell me it's over." As he spoke, he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his face and fall to the floor. "Damn it, it's gotta be… It's just gotta be…"

"It is," came Rude's deep, assuring voice, although he sounded just as winded.

"Thank goodness," Elena murmured, bringing herself into a seated position now that the worst was all over, but was still grimacing as she gingerly placed a hand above her broken arm. Almost immediately, though, Tseng was at her side again, and a faint blush crept into her cheeks at seeing such concern etched on his face.

"Are you all right, Elena?"

Lowering her head to hide the flush, she nodded slightly. "For the most part… But that… _bitch_ broke my arm."

"Then we'll get you taken care of right away." Gently gripping her uninjured arm and putting his arm around her waist, Tseng helped her back onto her feet. Even as he did so, however, his expression was deeply contemplative, before he addressed all the Turks. "In fact, I think we've all had enough for today. Perhaps we will have to call this particular mission a failure, yet we're in no condition to continue the pursuit. For now, anyway."

They all silently nodded, none of them in any opposition whatsoever to Tseng's command.

"Seems we'll need to come up with different tactics the next time we confront them, now that we know what we're up against," Rude added, brushing off his jacket before reaching to push his sunglasses, yet stopped when he recalled they had been lost.

"Yeah…" muttered Reno, pulling himself again to his full height, although immediately slumped against the nearest wall. "Man, who woulda _thought_ that those damn remnants managed to get a hold of such powerful allies… let alone a couple of girls." He then vigorously shook his head. "And then those serpent-looking things…! I mean, I know they helped us out and everything, but seriously, what the hell?"

"Whatever is the biggest crisis on the planet now, it seems as though we're over our heads this time," Tseng said solemnly. "We underestimated our opponents, that is for sure."

"It's a good thing we let that woman help us out, huh?" Elena added, through gritted teeth. "Even though I can't say I really trust her yet, if it wasn't for her, we'd probably all be toast."

"Really, did that girl do something to that Ifrit?" Reno wiped away some of the sweat on his forehead. "She really didn't look all that experienced to me, but I swear I ain't never seen an Ifrit that strong before."

"Something's up with her, that's for sure, if the remnants are letting her tag along with them." A low growl escaped from Elena. "Whatever it is, she'd _better_ pay for what she did to my arm."

"If we are able to capture her, perhaps I can see to that personally." There was even a hint of a smile on Tseng's face as he said that, and Elena grinned wanly in appreciation. "Hopefully the kid's 'boss' will let you, whatever she has planned for her."

"Speaking of that… remember what she said about that girl having unusual powers?" Elena interposed quietly, and everyone looked at her curiously. "I think… she was right. When we were fighting, the girl used Fire magic in a way I've never seen before; she somehow made a wall of fire go up around me without hurting me. And when I trapped her with the net, she set it on fire without getting burned! I didn't even see burn marks or _anything_ on her, and she just pulled the net off like it was no big deal…"

Rude's eyebrows were raised skeptically. "Are you sure she didn't have something equipped to protect her, such as a Fire Ring?"

"Pretty sure. I looked, and didn't see _anything_," she replied, shaking her head before wearily pointing with her good arm. "Look, the net's still there if you wanna see for yourself. What's left of it, anyway."

As Rude fetched the net from where Elena indicated it was lying on the floor, holding the burnt remains up for inspection, Reno had to make his input. Hearing Elena's account just made him put two and two together. "Y'know what, Elena? I totally believe you, yo. When I was chasing after her after she ran off with that… Kasoo or Yaju—"

"Yazoo," Tseng corrected him.

Reno waved a hand impatiently. "Like I give a damn! When she ran off with that _Yazoo_ and I caught up to 'em, she had this ball of fire floatin' in the air like a freakin' lantern! Now either she's discovered some new spell or…" He just shook his head. "And then that damn Ifrit! Shit, I've never, ever seen one like that before… She did something to it to make it that strong, I just know it!"

"Then, it is definitely clear that we're dealing with something out of the ordinary here," their chief concluded. "We now have evidence for ourselves that the remnants were able to acquire some sort of strange, new power—albeit in an unexpected form, just as that woman said."

"Really, when _haven't_ we Turks dealt with something outta the ordinary?" commented Reno wryly. "After all the shit we've had to put up with, I feel like I don't even know what 'ordinary' is anymore."

The other Turks chuckled at the remark, for they could all wholeheartedly agree: once anyone became a Turk, the term 'ordinary' stopped applying to their lives in general.

"Going back on what Tseng last said, though…" Elena spoke up once the interval of amusement was over, "What about the woman you were fighting, Tseng? I don't remember if the kid's boss mentioned her at all, but from what I saw of her, it looked like she was putting up a pretty good fight."

"That she was," was his grim response. "At least I didn't underestimate her to begin with. I could tell she was one to be reckoned with and… well, I was right to assume so. I admit, I haven't had a battle like that in years; even then, it seemed like she wasn't fighting to her fullest capacity."

"She wasn't, chief. I've seen her fight better than that."

This time, everyone now turned to look at Rude intently, although now it was with incredulity.

"You've… _seen_ her fight better than that?" Elena's eyes had widened even more upon hearing that startling bit of information. "Since when? How the _heck_ would you know?"

"I would like to know as well," added Tseng, his brow furrowed. "Are you saying… you've met that woman before?"

Reno's jaw had dropped slightly. "Dude, have you?"

"I have. It was on a rather obscure mission, so I would be surprised if you remembered." Grunting, Rude folded his arms, his expression clearly more pensive with the absence of his eyewear. "Do you recall, about three years ago, when Shinra wanted to try and see what it would be like to have female recruits in SOLDIER?"

"They _did?_" was Elena's outcry, her face lighting up at the idea that women had actually been given a chance to be in SOLDIER.

"Hmm, Shinra did, didn't they?" Tseng replied. "Of course, I… vaguely remember now. They never exactly followed through, though; they discarded the idea only a few months later, if I'm correct. Hojo probably thought it would be a waste of time." (Elena's expression fell considerably at that.)

"Yes, but it was long enough that they sent some of the Turks out, including myself, to scout for candidates: young women who were already skilled in some form of combat. I guess they heard about one through the grapevine, that she was the daughter of an employee of Shinra."

"And so, you're saying…"

Rude merely nodded. "That's right, chief—that very same woman. It's been four years, but… I still recognized her. I still remember her name as well: Aurei, Aurei Driessen."

"Aurei, huh?" Reno echoed rather absentmindedly, again running a hand through his hair. "Well, I ain't surprised you remember her that well, like _I'd_ forget her. Ya gotta admit, she was quite the fox."

"Reno, that's totally unprofessional to say!" Elena snapped at him, although in her indignation she had manipulated her broken arm a little too much, and she grimaced more heavily. Although amused by her reaction, for Tseng had silently agreed it wasn't appropriate to be complimenting someone who had nearly killed him, he knew they had been lingering too long, and Elena needed treatment.

"Come on, Elena, let's get back to the chopper now."

Tightening his grip securely around her waist, he cautiously walked her back to the crevice in the ceiling, trying to think of the best way to get her back up without causing further damage to her arm. In the meantime, Rude had helped to steady Reno during his momentary dizziness, and they soon followed close behind. As they walked, however, he recalled Rude hadn't finished his account of his first encounter with the woman called Aurei.

"What came of your meeting with Aurei, Rude? Obviously, she never got the chance to join SOLDIER's ranks."

"Nor did she want to. After presenting the offer to both her and her father, Aurei's response was an outright 'no'; she refused to be recruited, even if Shinra had to use force. Admittedly, I…" He cleared his throat, "took her up on that challenge and fought her. Even then, she was… able to defeat me, and undoubtedly she's gotten even stronger since then."

"You _lost_ to her, huh?" Reno chortled. "C'mon partner, you must've let her off easy 'cuz she was—"

"_Reno_," Elena butted in with a growl, accompanied by the other two Turks' stern glares, at which Reno responded with a quizzical shrug of the shoulders. Rubbing the bridge of his nose with a faint sigh, Rude continued without comment, although he became slightly more pensive.

"With her rejection of the offer, and Shinra dropping the program not long afterwards anyways, I didn't expect to ever come across her again. I especially never expected to encounter her again under such circumstances, _or_ in such company." His brow furrowed even more. "At that time, I didn't notice anything too out of the ordinary with her, yet this time…"

"She's demonstrated a different power," Tseng finished for him. "I noticed that as well: her attacks consisted almost entirely of ice-based spells, including what appeared to have been a limit break."

"And that other girl too, with the way she was using Fire magic," mused Elena quietly. "Could we be dealing with… some _really_ kind of weird ability to manipulate Elemental magic?"

Reno only groaned. "You mean _more_ supernatural kind of crap? _Great._"

"Good observation, Elena," Tseng said to her, and she glowed with pride. "That just might be the case. We must look further into it, that's for certain."

By now, they had reached the space below the crevice, and Tseng was looking up towards it, again contemplating how to get her safely to the upper level with the least possible harm. Almost too conveniently, just when he was thinking he would have to find another way out because the crevice was too far up, two bursts of blue-light white appeared on either side of the Turks. Their appearances hadn't been quite as explosive as before, but once the serpents had fully materialized, one nudged Elena in her good arm, causing her to jump in alarm. The other, however, explained its intentions by pointing its snout upwards, and they all then comprehended what the serpents were here for this time.

"I guess we can trust you to help us out no matter what the situation is, huh?" commented Tseng, though the serpents did nothing in response.

Before they would help elevate Elena and possibly the other Turks back up to the upper level (at which Elena understandably seemed quite dubious about), Tseng decided it was best then to announce what their plan of action was to be after this.

"Once we get back to the choppers, I suggest we all get some rest, especially Elena. It's late in the day now, and it will be undoubtedly best to make our next move tomorrow. Elena and I will attempt to track down the remnants and their 'allies' from the air, while you, Rude, and Reno will—"

"Let me guess." Rude again cleared his throat. "You want me to attempt to find Aurei's home in Kalm and gather information about her from there?"

Tseng simply smiled. "Perhaps the situation is coincidental, yet we have a possible lead nonetheless."

**(BREAK HERE.)**

_Once again, I barely manage to finish this chapter in time for you all to read it by the weekend. I'm really finding that my tendency to write long chapters and my college workload really don't mix well. -headdesks a third time- Oh well, being the obstinate, determined, pigheaded individual I am, I'll stupidly be plowing onward with the whole update-every-month-thing. I do hope you guys are appreciating the work I've been putting into this; the one thing I fear is that I'm doing all this hard work, and it somehow might end up being all for nothing._

_Because I feel like I'm blabbering on for the sake of making an author's note, I'll just part with one last note that yes, I am aware I totally stole the titles of this and the last chapter from the Final Fantasy X soundtrack. Hey, it's still Final Fantasy, and it's fitting, so there. Speaking of titles, I am actually contemplating changing the name of this fanfiction, since the notion of a similar, yet more perfect name came to me not long ago. It's nothing definite yet, I'm still thinking it over, but just saying so you're not too alarmed if the story is suddenly no longer called Ignis Fatuus, ha. (EDIT 12/27/09: I went back and changed every other mention of Ignis Fatuus to Illusory Flame… just cuz I felt it would be appropriate, lol.)_

_And that's all for now. As always, I'm hoping to see much feedback from you guys. See ya._


	19. Resting Restlessly

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 19**

_Resting Restlessly_

At last, they had arrived at the Forgotten City. Cloud wasn't sure if what they had found there so far was what he had been expecting all along, nor was he certain if he was relieved or dismayed by the discovery. Ever since they had gotten there, though, no matter how hard they searched their results were the same:

"_Nothin'?_" The irate voice was Cid's, bellowing from the earpiece of Cloud's cellular. "Whaddya mean, you still can't find nothin'? This was their goddamn base, they _gotta_ be here somewhere! I didn't fly out all this way to find a couple o' empty shells!"

"Lower the decibel count, Cid," Cloud responded calmly, daring to hold his phone a bit closer so he could speak into the mouthpiece. Standing next to him, Tifa seemed plagued by her anxiety over their findings (or lack thereof). "It's very possible they _are_ around here somewhere, but… at this point, I'm thinking either they've already left, or they never came here in the first place. We haven't found traces of anyone having been here in a while."

"Bah!" growled Cid in displeasure, then sighed. There was a pause and a huff of breath, indicating he had taken a drag from his cigarette before continuing in a much calmer tone. "Well, I guess if they ain't here, they ain't here. But don't you worry, Spiky, we'll rat 'em out eventually—just you wait!"

Cloud chuckled. "And I believe we will, Cid. If we don't find anything after two hours, though, let's rendezvous in the main part of the city and talk about what we'll do next. Sound good?"

"Roger that!"

Though Cloud was smiling slightly as he snapped the cellular shut and stowed it away, it soon faded into solemnity. Glancing over at Tifa, he saw it was the same with her: the brief amusement had since left her visage, and now she was shifting her feet anxiously, rubbing her arm with a gloved hand as if cold, even though it wasn't very chilly here in the Ancients' former capital. Without needing to take a moment to consider it, Cloud could say that, though he was better able to contain it, he felt the same as her.

The entire trip, ever since they had left the outskirts of Edge with the _Shera_ flying overhead, had been riddled with nothing but apprehension. After all, the road he had taken to reach the Forgotten City had been the exact same route he had traversed on his last visit here, in his vain attempt to rescue the kids kidnapped by Kadaj's gang. Despite the vastly different mindset he possessed now, almost polar to what had been his frame of mind a week ago, he still could not help but wonder if he would actually be successful, if the remnants could be vanquished for good…

The closer he got to the Forgotten City, the worse his unease became. It was especially once they entered the Sleeping Forest that he went the most on guard, unsure if he should expect the remnants to ambush him as they had before, wondering if he should be preparing for another trap of theirs. Although he and Tifa had barely exchanged any words the full duration of the trip, his edginess had seeped into her as well; she had actually pulled on her gloves in anticipation of some unprecedented attack.

What Cloud had been anxious about most of all, however, was the possibility that Aerith would appear to him once again, just as she had when he had last traversed this road. He honestly wasn't sure if he was hoping she would, so that she could shed some light on this unexpected complication, or simply so he could see her once more…

With no immediate signs that the remnants were here, and with Cid and the others being at a disadvantage aboard the _Shera_, due to all the trees below blocking their view, they all agreed that, if they wanted to do the most thorough search, it had to be done on foot. 'Jus' like back then,' as Barret had put it, they had split up into two even teams: Cid, Barret, and Cait Sith in one group, while Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent were in the other, and each team would take half of the area, including the Sleeping Forest, to comb.

That had been more than three hours ago, and as evidenced by the exchange between Cloud and Cid over their cell phones, neither party had been able to turn up anything. After everything he had been expecting to happen, both here and during the journey to reach this place, Cloud wasn't certain exactly how to take this lack of eventfulness. He could say he was relieved that no conflict at all was happening, and yet he didn't feel secure enough to take a breath of relief. After all, he had come here for the sole purpose of at last putting an end to those bastards, and they were nowhere to be found—here in the forest, anyway.

"Cloud, I hate to say this, but…" Tifa murmured quietly, her dark eyes tiredly surveying the glowing forest around them before turning earnestly to him—Cloud could definitely see then just how drained she seemed to be from all the tedious stress. "I really don't believe we're going to find anything of them here in the forest. Shouldn't it be about time we move on to the city, where they had the main part of their base?"

"…Maybe." Although Cloud didn't want to use a vague response in such a situation, let alone around Tifa, the thought of again entering the Forgotten City made pangs of uncertainty and hesitation tug at his consciousness. "I just… want to make we haven't overlooked a single clue of whether or not they've come here, because I don't want to risk another ambush like last time. They might not even be at their base—they might be hiding somewhere else in the Sleeping Forest."

"I doubt it."

The suddenness of that voice was such that both Cloud and Tifa, on edge enough as they were, whirled around to confront the speaker, Tifa putting up her fists while Cloud's hand had flown to the hilt of one of the swords strapped to his back. Moments later, though, at fully perceiving the crimson-cloaked figure landing before them with only so much as a flutter of cloth, the pair immediately relaxed, a bit sheepish for their reaction.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, letting his hand drop back to his side as their teammate approached. "But, we can't exactly help it with your tendency to pop out of nowhere."

"My apologies," responded Vincent dryly, coming to a halt a few feet away. "At least I am reassured neither of you are letting your guard down yet."

Cloud had to chuckle at that. "Don't you worry about that, Vincent. I learned that lesson out here already. I have to say, though, it's rather disappointing that I came prepared for whatever they have up their sleeve this time, and at this point it looks like they're gonna be a no-show."

"Most likely, I would say."

"You weren't able to find any trace of them yet either?" Tifa inquired, faintly downcast.

Vincent merely shook his head. "No, and if anyone would've found anything of them here, it would be me. I did spend a fortnight observing their operations, after all."

"I'm sure glad you did," Cloud said with a wan smile. Again, though, the smile didn't last for long before it faded as he turned slightly to look deeper into the glowing woods around them. "I think we've covered most of the area surrounding the Forgotten City, so I guess all that's left for us is to… search the city itself. Unless you already did that, Vincent."

"I did not. I thought it would be better to wait for you to say that yourself. It's quite obvious that you've been stalling, Cloud."

At that, Cloud hung his head a little, for he knew Vincent was right. In his lingering reluctance, he had been trying to delay heading towards the city itself at last—it was the real reason why he insisted on continuing to search the forest. He had been fully confident he could muster the strength to again approach the place where Aerith had made her sacrifice… But, even so, coming back was so much harder than he had anticipated. It wasn't so easy to ignore all the memories that it stirred within him, growing stronger the closer he got…

But, upon noting Tifa looking his way in his peripheral vision, all it took for him to make up his mind was to glance over at her expression of concern. No longer did Cloud want Tifa to worry and fret over him, to always be in a state of concern that he was still somehow tormented by the events in his past. After all the support she had selflessly lent to him, he wanted to repay her for that: he wanted her to know that he was going to be okay now, that he had chosen to move on.

In fact, the return of his tenacity had made a slight smirk appear on his face. "'Stalling', Vincent? Is something wrong with trying to make the most thorough search possible?"

"…Of course not." He still appeared to be skeptical, but didn't press the matter any further.

"Is it… really okay, Cloud?" Tifa spoke up tentatively, concern still in her eyes and in her voice. "It'll be okay going back there?"

"It'll be all right, Tifa." The banter had left Cloud's voice, replaced with nothing but his earnest reply. "Vincent's right, I was stalling… I didn't know if I could ever be ready to go back, but… I know I have to."

Just seeing how her expression lightened made his own spirits rise a little, and it was with a smile that she nodded. "All right, let's go, then."

At that, the three then set off through the woods, on a cleared path, which, like everything else here, seemed to have been there for a very long count of years. It was perhaps the whole ancient, ethereal atmosphere that was another factor in what disquiet he felt. In itself, the knowledge that this had once been the center for such a legendary race of people was overpowering enough. Aside from their constant attentiveness for signs of the remnants, that was probably another reason why he nor Tifa had said much at all this entire time, although she soon indicated that she had had enough of the silence.

"Hey, Vincent?"

The crimson-cloaked man whipped his head about to acknowledge her, but said nothing; he merely listened as she put forth her question.

"Can you tell us more about what the remnants were doing, during those two weeks when you were watching them?"

"I'd like to know too," Cloud added, quite truthfully, since Vincent had only explained so much in order for them all to understand Kadaj's intentions. "You're the only one among us who had the opportunity to get that sort of insight."

"If you're so keen to know, there wasn't much else that went on other than what I told you."

"You mean… nothing else than them torturing Elena and Tseng, putting children in a trance, and figuring out where the hell Jenova's head was?" Cloud's expression darkened. "It wouldn't surprise me if that was all they did during that time."

"From what I saw, yes. There were a few times when one or more of them would go to investigate a lead elsewhere, although they would always leave someone behind to keep an eye on their captives."

"That was… Elena and Tseng, right?" asked Tifa, before she shook her head sadly. "It's just… It's so awful to imagine what that must've been like for them, the suffering that Kadaj put them through…"

"It was hell for them, I could ascertain that much." The sympathy was ever so fleeting on Vincent's part, though, as far as he was willing to reveal it. "It was only once they apparently stumbled across a clue to your whereabouts in Edge, Cloud, that all three of them left the Forgotten City, and I was able to tend to Tseng and Elena's injuries.

"From what I garnered from them, they were only barely being kept alive so Kadaj could pry information about Jenova and Shinra from them, although they were obstinate enough that his endeavors ultimately ended up in failure. What purpose Kadaj saw in them seemed to fully decline when he figured out where Rufus was hiding, and that Jenova must be in Edge; hence, he probably left them to simply die in captivity." A short, quiet chuckle then escaped from Vincent. "They truly must have become worthless to Kadaj at that point, for he barely seemed to care when he returned and found them gone."

While this wasn't the first time Cloud had heard this account, now that he knew the finer details of exactly how Kadaj had held the Turks prisoner, he felt a sudden twinge of anger, factoring into what determination he already possessed to ensure the remnants were eliminated for good. He couldn't bear to risk the possibility of the remnants committing such crimes and causing such pain again, not when it was within his power to do something about it…

"I'm just glad to know that they're okay now." Tifa had shuddered more than once upon hearing precisely how they had been treated. "Although, I do hope that the remnants haven't decided to pay Rufus and the Turks another visit, thinking he still has some kind of knowledge about Jenova… Her head was the only thing he was able to recover of her, isn't that right?"

"And I doubt that the remnants will be willing to accept that possibility… not until hell freezes over," muttered Cloud. "Rufus better be prepared for some unexpected visitors, because if they can't find anything more of Jenova in the Northern Cave, I'll be betting that they'll next come breaking down his door, convinced he still has some other Jenova cells hidden away."

"Do you think Rufus would've heard the news by now? Seems like something Reeve would inform him of, even if he wasn't so kind to tell the W.R.O. he'd been hiding Jenova's head all along."

"More than likely," was Vincent's response. "Although, he might have found out by himself as well… Don't forget what Reeve told us about that news report which had been released earlier this morning, detailing a sighting of one of the remnants—"

"With an orange-haired girl," Cloud finished for him. "Probably the same exact girl I saw in Midgar."

As Cloud hadn't wanted to waste any more time in pursuing the remnants, he had decided to save the details of his encounter with the silver-haired duo for later, perhaps the next instance they happened to stop and meet up with the rest of the team. He hadn't expected that to happen so soon, however. Not long past noon, Cid had contacted him via cellular phone, saying that Reeve had declared they ought to rendezvous as quickly as possible. Upon hearing that it regarded a sighting of one the remnants, the _Shera_ couldn't come fast enough for Cloud once he had agreed to stop and wait for them; he couldn't wait long enough once the airship did arrive, so he and Tifa could go on board to discuss this with the others.

While the sighting hadn't been something the team had seen, it was still something Cloud had been hoping to hear about. It had been a broadcast from Edge's main news station, reporting that, yesterday evening, one of the silver-haired men was still alive, spotted walking through a back street in Edge. Yet, he hadn't been alone: apparently, he had also been seen with a young woman with orange hair.

Although the latter piece of news had everyone else baffled, Cloud was beyond elated to have heard it, because it had provided the validation he had been hoping for to prove his suspicion that the remnants were receiving outside help. The first opportunity Cloud had been able to get, he had launched into the details of what had transpired earlier that morning, something only Tifa had known up until then. Initially, the team hadn't been able to swallow the idea of a human helping the remnants, but once Cloud had given his account, all they could do was disbelievingly accept it.

That didn't prevent them from discussing the identity of the girl at length, however; they spent over an hour trying to come up with ideas about who she was, what she had to do with the silver-haired men, and, most importantly, why she would be assisting them in the first place. They all had their input, yet couldn't deduce anything more about her than Cloud and Tifa had been able to. Eventually, as Cloud had been hoping, Reeve had stated (through Cait Sith) he would have W.R.O. investigate this girl, and they wouldn't rest until they learned who she was.

Until then, Cloud knew he had to be patient about finding out more about her, yet he wished more hints to her identity would have turned up today. As he and Tifa had resumed the journey on Fenrir, he hadn't been able to get his mind off the matter, especially not after that news report. Something simply wasn't right with the whole situation, and he grew ever more uneasy the more he pondered it. Cloud had to know the truth; if there were anyone who could tell him what it could be, it would be possibly one of the only people who had a real insight on the silver-haired trio.

"Vincent… Is it really possible? Would the remnants really become so desperate that they would ally themselves with a human?"

"With everything that would be working against them, especially with their leader gone… it's not implausible that they have allowed a human being to assist them," he replied. "However, I find it hard to believe they would have picked a random human off the streets. Somehow, she must have proven herself as being useful to their cause, whether she is willingly helping them or not."

"I guess we can only know for sure from what W.R.O. finds out, or if we encounter her ourselves," commented Tifa, before shaking her head in incredulity. "No matter what, though, it's still so hard to believe… There has to be something has to be out of place with that girl, if the remnants chose her."

"I would concur," said Vincent. "I sense that this battle won't be over as soon as we hope, and all because of her."

As much as he didn't want to share in Vincent's pessimism, Cloud had to say that his feelings were the same. Something was telling him that the girl was far more than they were assuming her to be, and she would be the reason why eliminating the silver-haired men wasn't going to be as simple as everyone was hoping.

* * *

Any and all shreds of gratitude Yazoo might have felt for the orange-haired girl had altogether vaporized at this point; he had almost forgotten why he would have been grateful towards her in the first place. Now he had every right to be resentful of her.

Though it had happened at least an hour ago, Yazoo swore that he could still feel the impact on his back when the girl had tripped and fallen against him. The incident was only so memorable to him because he could probably count on one hand alone how many people he had had any sort of physical contact with, outside of combat. Loz on some occasions, Kadaj perhaps once or twice, and then that female Turk, when he had been assigned to transport her as a prisoner from the Northern Cave to the Forgotten City, since they had personally made certain she wouldn't have been able to get far by herself.

Yet, as far as he could recall… he had _never_ had a physical contact as significant as that, and Yazoo was fairly certain he could do well enough without the memory. Both his body and his dignity had been violated, plain and simple, and the fact that it had been a _human_ of all things didn't make the affliction to his pride any better. The human equivalent of this repulsion would have been like brushing some disgusting insect.

_And here, I hadn't believed anything worse could happen between us… not after __**that**__ first incident._

In fact, he happened to be still berating himself about that time, for Yazoo was of the stubborn belief that he could have bypassed it entirely had he not been so careless about his indecency. But, getting that garment on and off was almost far more trouble than it was worth, despite the fact it was such a fundamental part of his whole being. Besides, he had been deeply considering the girl's offer to fix the battered jacket, which meant he would have had to wear a different garment anyway (he certainly wouldn't have let her repair the jacket while he was wearing it).

Hence, Yazoo had been willing to risk it: hurrying, half-dressed, from the bathroom to the bedroom, which thankfully had been right next to each other, and finding himself a change of clothes. It might have been worth the shot, as he had peeked his head out of the bathroom and found the coast clear, with the girl nowhere in sight. All seemed to be going to plan as he exited the bathroom… until he had stepped through the doorway of the bedroom and saw none other than the orange-haired girl there.

Yazoo had been taken so much off guard he hadn't even thought of doing anything else to preserve his modesty. He could only recall gazing back at her as she stared back at him over her shoulder, eyes wide with soundless shock. Almost before he had known what was happening next, the girl had sputtered a garble of words, plopping a selection of shirts down on the bed before striding past him. At last, it had been then that Yazoo had caught up with what was transpiring, and had stepped out of the girl's way before furiously slamming the door behind her.

While he had his privacy once again, he hadn't been able to relax, not with the bout of emotions that had been wracking his body. Shame and anger, violation and repulsion… and all because of that girl. From what he had been able to perceive on the girl's face, which had been anything but nonchalant, she wasn't likely to forget what she had seen so easily either.

Furious though he remained with her, however, even Yazoo was well aware he couldn't dwell on his indignant thoughts forever. Their top priority at the moment, after all, was reuniting with Aurei and Loz, and he had to quell his resentment if he wished to clear his mind enough to think about it. But, even though it was something he considered himself a master at, it only served to boomerang back at him. The more he tried to think about how they could possibly locate the other two again, the more he couldn't come up with a proper search method, and then he would again begin blaming the orange-haired girl for their dilemma. So, he would find himself back at square one, his thoughts once again lingering over her every fault with growing ire.

The only thing that proved to finally break the seemly endless cycle happened to be the orange-haired girl herself. For the most part during the entire past hour, she had been completely, blessedly silent, her only sounds either her increasingly heavy footfalls or her soft, yet evidently labored breathing. Her exhaustion was truly becoming more apparent with every additional step she took, each wavering more than the last, until it seemed her strength was unable to hold out any longer. From behind him, he merely heard her give a startled gasp, before the obvious sound of the girl stumbling and collapsing onto her knees.

Not even that could spark an ounce of concern in Yazoo, unable to care enough about her condition to even do so much as stop and wait until she had rested enough to continue, let alone give her any sort of aid. Exhausted though the girl was, however, by the time he had gone roughly ten paces from her, she still somehow had the energy to open her impertinent mouth.

"You bastard," she hissed at him weakly, though vehemently. "Even when one of your own teammates falls you can't stop and give a hand, can you?"

"'Teammate'?" Yazoo repeated, mockingly. "You should have learned by now I don't have _teammates_."

"No shit you don't." The fact that he still hadn't ceased his strides only fueled her ire even more. "Seriously, can you give me a break and hold on for just _one_ damn minute? What point do you think you're making anyway, walking away like that?"

"If you're still able to speak," he shot back, "Then you still have enough strength to keep walking."

"Sorry, sir, but the _human_ body doesn't always function like that." When he only scoffed at that, still not convinced enough to finally halt and wait for her, the girl sighed. "Well, it just so happens that's not the only thing I have to say anyways."

"Is that so?"

"Yep. I just had another one of those visions. I saw where Aurei is."

At last, the girl was successful. The moment he had so much as processed the word 'visions', Yazoo came to an abrupt stop, actually caught in mid-step. For the first time in the past hour, he turned to look back at the girl, seated on the ground with one hand supporting her, only he began to have second thoughts upon spying the triumph in her weary eyes that she had won his attention.

"Don't fool with me, girl," growled Yazoo. "Did you or did you not have one of those… _unusual_ visions?"

Her eyes narrowed back at him. "Oh, I did all right. I'm not trying to fool anybody here, I swear. I really did have a vision, I did; that's why I fell, because it happened so quickly and startled me so much."

"Then tell me, what did you see?"

A growl escaped from the girl, but she made no other protest. "For one, I'm dead certain I saw Aurei and Loz… They look like they're both okay, from what I saw. They were… both sitting down, someplace that looked like the area we're in right now. Although, I'd hate to burst your bubble, but it didn't look like anywhere near here."

That was all right with Yazoo, to be honest. As long as he knew that his brother was alive, that was the only thing that mattered to him. Now, if the girl had been able to discern exactly _where_ Aurei and Loz happened to be at this very moment, he just might be more inclined to pardon her, at least a little…

"And then, I swear… I'm sure I saw _him_."

Although the girl was looking down at the ground now, he was still able to note a strange look come over the girl's face—an expression he hadn't quite seen her wear so far. Her eyes seemed distant, as did her tone when she spoke again, clarifying for him what she had seen:

"I saw him… the kidnapper, that _bastard_ half-brother of mine. There's no one else it could have been, I know it. And not only that, but he…"

The emotion he had seen upon her face before now truly began to light her features, and Yazoo realized then what it was.

"He was with her… He was with May." Hope seemed to be filling every fiber of the girl's being, especially her voice as she continued to describe what she had seen. It seemed to be all that she was focused on; she didn't even appear to be paying any heed to Yazoo in that moment. "May, she's… she's all right. He didn't lie, he didn't do anything to her… She's still _alive!_ _May!"_

In an action that actually took Yazoo off guard, the girl suddenly sprung to her feet, utmost elation upon her face. The moment, however, came to be short-lived: she had taken only a single step forward before her legs caved beneath her, and she again fell to her knees with a gasp. Once more, she remained in that seated position, panting slightly, staring at the ground again for a short while before turning her gaze back up towards him. The light had truly then left her hazel eyes, leaving them to appear more tired than before, even slightly bloodshot.

"Can we… really stop for now?" The girl didn't even sound angry or frustrated with him anymore, only pleading for respite. "I don't think we're gonna make much more progress, and it's getting dark out too."

Her latter statement was certainly true: night was coming on fast now, the first stars becoming visible in the darkening sky. It wouldn't be long before the trail would become treacherous to navigate with the lack of light, at least for the girl, and he didn't want to have to deal with any further injuries she might acquire because of it. Besides, as much as he hated to admit it… after all the action and excitement that this day had presented, even Yazoo was starting to feel the strains of fatigue. He hadn't slept since two days ago either, and though that was normal for him, he wasn't forever immune to the tiredness that plagued humans on a daily basis. The more he deliberated their options, the more the idea of waking up and starting fresh in the early morning appealed to him.

"Very well," he conceded, and was sure the girl had started a little. "But not until we find a safer place, away from the trail."

It did take a bit of searching, although they were able to find an area that seemed secure enough. On the steep incline that comprised the mountainous area, there was a spot about a hundred feet from the trail where the earth suddenly dropped away via a tall rock face, and at its base the ground was flat and rocky. This rocky spot was in enough of a discreet position that no one, hopefully including monsters, would easily stumble across them. Hence, it was with an almost wordless agreement that they chose to settle down here for the night.

When the girl was finally able to rest her weary body, there was no mistaking her prominent sigh of relief as she sat back against the rock face, opposite from where he had taken a seat in a similar position. She proceeded to groan slightly as she stretched out her legs, first one, then the other, massaging her calves and even removing her boots so she could give her feet a rubdown too. At last, she seemed to be able to relax, although it was just as she was settling back that her stomach gave a particularly discontented grumble. The girl gave another groan, before rummaging through her bag and sighing again in relief upon digging out some food.

"You want some too?" she asked after she had begun munching on a granola bar, probably having seen him watching her out of the corner of his eye. "I've got enough—"

"No, thank you."

Though his refusal was ever so cold, she merely shrugged at him before casually continuing to consume the bar. Not wanting further confusion with his intentions, he had averted his gaze completely, since he had only been eying her out of curiosity. If she could tire so easily still, was she really any less of a human than he had initially believed her to be? Her appetite, as well as her nightly need for rest, wasn't that different from an ordinary human's routine. Even Aurei, whose powers were by far more developed, wasn't much of an exception, and he was sure their half-brother wouldn't differ much either.

_But, they still all contain a materia within their bodies…_ If that wasn't an unnatural occurrence in nature, then Yazoo didn't know what was.

"Hey, Yazoo…?"

The surprise at her presenting a question quickly turned to annoyance; there was rarely any question that came out of the girl's mouth that could even be considered a worthwhile inquiry. He answered regardless, however, since he himself wasn't in the mood to be starting another quarrel.

"What is it?"

The girl seemed just as surprised as he had been that he had responded to her, but didn't acknowledge it. "Who do you think the Turks were working for? Me, I can't believe they're actually still around, after what happened two years ago… Everyone believes the world saw the last of Shinra when Meteorfall destroyed Midgar."

So, that really did seem to be the truth then, and it hadn't only been Aurei who had thought that. After all Yazoo had seen and heard, it seemed that the Turks and the President had been keeping to the shadows for the past two years. Like Aurei, the girl didn't seem to be aware that President Shinra was still alive, and more than likely the one who was issuing the peons their orders. Indeed, when he revealed this to the girl, her eyes widened.

"That bastard… he's still _alive?_" she murmured in amazement. "It's really true, then… There were rumors all last week that there had been sightings of him in Edge. The same day when you guys were terrorizing the city, in fact."

At that, Yazoo was sure she would inquire more about that day, more information as to what happened between his brothers and the Turks, but she merely examined her granola bar for a short while before taking a large bite out of it.

"It's kind of… I dunno, _weird_, to think that the Turks are after me for whatever reason," she quietly spoke up again, after having finished her morsel. "I and everyone else always believed they were always involved in all these conspiracies Shinra was baking up, and there was no telling who they'd target next, and for what reason… I just… I just wish I knew what the hell they wanted _me_ for."

When the girl had first broached this question, he had been in such an irate state he hadn't wanted to put much thought to the issue, but Yazoo was well aware now it was something that had to be taken into deep consideration. After all, Mother had designated this girl as his ally; whatever trouble followed this girl he would have to be prepared to deal with.

"Your unnatural affiliation with materia is the only reason I can think of. How they ever would have found out about it is another whole question altogether."

"You can say that again." The girl seemed to be about to take another bite of the granola bar, before lowering it with a suddenly thoughtful, yet troubled, expression. "No, could it… really be? Could _they_ really have… struck up some kind of deal?"

Yazoo narrowed his eyes at her inquisitively; he had an idea of what she was talking about, but he just had to make sure. "What do you mean, _'they'?"_

"Shinra and whoever the hell's behind May's kidnapping teaming up against us, that's what I mean. It would sure explain a hell of a lot, huh?"

"Such as those serpents…" Two and two were starting to come together. "Shinra or his peons certainly didn't have those creatures to assist them during our last confrontation. In fact, I don't believe they were even aware of those new allies, judging from the look I saw on the Turk's face."

"Yeah, I saw that too, and that's definitely the weirdest part about it. Well, how they kept popping out of the ground was pretty outta whack too, other than just being damn annoying, and…" She cleared her throat. "They look a lot like those creatures you're able to summon too. The Shadow… Crawlers, you called them?"

"Shadow Creepers," he corrected her. "I noticed that as well, only they appear to be their antithesis. Holy energy, without a doubt."

"So then, the Shadow Creepers are… dark matter, or something like that?"

"You could call it that."

"And you're…" Reluctance arose in her voice again, although with an element of disgust as well. "You and Loz are able to use something like _that?_"

Yazoo merely lifted his chin. "It's our gift. We're not exactly human, if you haven't come to that conclusion by now."

The girl scoffed back. "Like I hadn't figured that out more than a week ago."

With that, the discussion came to its abrupt halt, and they lapsed into silence for quite a while afterwards. Night had completely fallen at this point, and with the moon having barely risen over the horizon, they were in the midst of near-total darkness. All was quiet in the forest, save for the somewhat ominous rustle of the trees and underbrush in the wind, the occasional sounds of wildlife and monsters out in the distance, and then the movements of the girl nearby.

The girl had since finished with her sparse dinner, her gaze briefly turned up towards the starry heavens, before her head came to rest on her knees that were tucked against her chest. Her lack of movement and speech made Yazoo inclined to believe she was on the verge of falling asleep; he had to admit that seeing her lethargy made sleep even more irresistible for him. Hence, Yazoo could no longer resist putting his head back against the rock face behind him, closing his eyes at the unfamiliar weight upon them, recalling what it was like to let his fatigue claim him…

"Are you… really looking for your mother, Yazoo?"

The question truly took him by surprise: his eyes flew open, immediately flicking towards the girl. She was still in the same position, yet he could faintly perceive that she was looking inquisitively at him, seemingly unmindful of the fact that she had interrupted him from his attempt to rest. Naturally, it was quite irksome for him, yet Yazoo didn't feel as annoyed with her as he would have otherwise, more than likely due to his tiredness. Besides, simply the mention of Mother always brought a strange sense of ease over him…

"I am. She is the only reason why I'd be here now."

"Really?" The girl sounded amazed, shocked even, irritating him further.

"And what of it?"

"Nothing, just… didn't think you'd have something like that in you."

Never had he wanted to correct her more about anything. Mother, and the mission she had set before him, were the only things he lived for, the sole reason why he even existed in the first place…

"I do, and it would serve you well to remember that."

"Apparently… Don't get mad at me, though. You never told me about it."

That much was true: he had never breathed so much as a word of Mother in front of the orange-haired girl, at least not directly to her. He wasn't going to question how she had found about his mission, since there were numerous ways that could have happened: either Loz or Aurei could have informed her, or she might have overheard it somehow. Earlier in the Mythril Mines, for example, when she had been playing the part of the bystander.

"Now you know."

The girl grunted softly, though said nothing else, and again silence fell between them, only this time she didn't seem to be about to fall asleep again. Instead, her head had turned the other way to look out towards the forest, and Yazoo could sense that something had been stirred in her mind. The more he pondered it, the more he realized he probably knew what it was, and it occurred to him it just might be a perfect opportunity to learn more about her past. Not even Aurei had been able to tell him enough to satisfy his curiosity.

"Your mother is missing as well, isn't she?"

This time, it was his question that startled her, and her head snapped up slightly. Her surprise didn't seem to last for long, though, before her head resumed its resting spot on her knees.

"Yeah. It's been seven or eight years now." She suddenly seemed even wearier than before. "Can't say _I'm_ still searching for her, after all that time she's been gone."

"You've given up on her, you're saying?"

The girl sighed a mix of aggravation and defeat. "_No_, not really… It's just kinda hard to keep searching for somebody when you didn't have any leads to begin with. My uncle was working for Shinra at the time, and he managed to get them to make an investigation, especially since Mom was a former employee herself. But even they didn't get very far before they said the case had gone too cold to follow, and then… there was nothing anybody could do anymore."

Nearing the end of her narration, her voice had plainly hardened, and the last sentence she ended quite abruptly before burying her face into her knees. Yazoo was only intrigued to learn that both her uncle and her mother had been working for Shinra. Granted, he supposed it wasn't unusual for many people back then to be employed by Shinra, those in the Midgar area in particular. It was simply an odd connection, though: this girl with unusual abilities had family who had once worked beneath Shinra, a company once headed by the very person who remained one of their greatest adversaries.

"How did she disappear?"

"She just… vanished one night, that's all," was the girl's somnolent reply. "I was about eleven or twelve years old at the time… One morning, I just woke up in the apartment Mom and I lived in to find I was all alone… she was gone. But, there wasn't any indication of what had happened to her… No signs of a struggle, no clues, no nothing… People we knew, who found out about the incident, always remarked it was like a ghost had taken her… I think _that's_ a bunch of crap, personally."

"Then how would she have vanished?"

"Like hell I know," she grumbled into her knees. "It's anybody's guess what happened to her… she's probably dead by now. She was always… a little funny in the head, I'll say that much. Might have something to do with it… might not." The girl yawned. "Who knows…? I don't… anymore…"

"Perhaps the individual responsible for kidnapping your cousin is involved somehow," suggested Yazoo, on a whim. "It seems rather coincidental, wouldn't you agree?"

For many long moments, Yazoo waited for the girl to respond, although it didn't take him long to realize that she had at last fallen asleep. She had become noticeably stock still, still resting in the same position with her head on her knees, and he had heard the deepening of her breathing as well. While he had wanted the discussion to end sooner, he had actually been interested in what she would have had to add to the topic. The two situations were quite similar, after all, and he would be surprised if there happened to be no correlation between them, albeit he couldn't quite jump to conclusions on such hunches.

_Who am I to be concerned about this anyway?_ Was it simply because it might turn out to be something that would directly affect his mission? Was it out of mere curiosity about her past, to discover the truth for himself why she had been born with a materia?

He had to admit that, with every passing incident, the girl and her powers were beginning to intrigue him more and more: she was developing at a increasingly rapid rate that amazed even him. There was an incredible leap in her prowess between yesterday and today, and after all the action that this day had contained, he was surprised that she hadn't perished of exhaustion like an ordinary human would have.

_Was I wrong to assume she wasn't entirely human?_ She wasn't entirely non-human either, though, that much he was sure of. Their physical attributes weren't quite extraordinary, only their capabilities with magic—the sisters', at least, but their half-brother didn't seem to be much different.

Was such a combination even healthy? Would their seemingly human bodies be able to cope with containing such an unnatural power? It appeared plausible to him, given how many years Aurei's abilities had been 'awake', but would even she eventually reach some kind of limit? If that was to occur at any point, he only hoped that it wouldn't happen before the sisters were able to prove their usefulness to Mother.

_You wouldn't have chosen them if that was the case, would you, Mother?_ The more Yazoo thought about it, the more he wondered if Mother would have all the answers he sought regarding the mystery that surrounded the siblings and their powers. Would she be the one to explain the real origin of their materia? Their mysterious potential that still had yet to surface? In fact, would she even be able to tell them who happened to be aiding their adversaries? He didn't doubt that she would.

_No matter what the truth may be, I cannot wait to reach Junon_, was among Yazoo's final thoughts before sleep would finally claim him, aided by the comforting, soothing thoughts of Mother. _I cannot wait to find you at last, Mother… There is so much… I need to know…_

* * *

When Kallie and Yazoo had at last chosen to settle down for the night, Loz and Aurei had already done so a while beforehand, for the latter's stamina hadn't been able to hold out any longer. All it had taken for Aurei was a misjudgment of her next step, and the next thing Loz knew, she had simply fallen to the ground. But, unlike his brother's reaction, he immediately halted, whirling about to see her supporting herself on one hand and knee.

Though her face was turned towards the ground, he could plainly hear that her breathing was far heavier than before, although what he didn't expect was when she suddenly cursed, her hand clenching weakly into a fist. Frankly, after all Loz had seen her do, he couldn't blame her for being as tired as she was, but it seemed she wasn't so forgiving of herself.

"Aurei…?" he asked tentatively, feeling the same strange indecision from earlier that day after Kallie had been injured by the second Midgar Zolom. Just as suddenly as before, however, she growled and pushed herself back onto her feet.

"It's nothing. I just stumbled." Yet, she still swayed slightly on the spot, like she was about to fall over again. While she was able to steady herself, she still sighed, staring past Loz down the trail before saying, even more quietly, "But I guess it's better if we call it a day, even though I'd hoped we would be able to get farther than this."

In the short time he had been traveling with Aurei, he had never seen her so relieved to have the opportunity for respite. The moment they had found a spot suitable enough, far away from the path, she had sagged into a seated position at the base of a tree; inhaling deep breaths of air to level out her breathing, she began to, slowly but deliberately, stretch out various parts of her body. When it seemed she had recovered enough in that aspect, she used a Cure spell to heal the wounds that hadn't yet received any sort of treatment, before proceeding to consume some rations stowed away her bag. Not long after she had finished that meal, Aurei had relaxed back against the tree behind her, staring for a short while up at the canopy of the forest before closing her eyes, and she hadn't moved since.

All of that time, Loz had only watched her, seated opposite from her against another tree. Neither had exchange a word, for he had been unable to find much to say to her. Even when he had wanted to, he had remained quiet out of respect for her state of exhaustion. He doubted he would have been able to find anything significant to talk about anyway, since there seemed to be too much to discuss: the Turks, those serpents, the separation, her father's illness… It wasn't the first time so much had been on his mind, yet he couldn't say he had learned how to sort out such turbulent thoughts.

Since that was something Yazoo had always been a master of, Loz would always seek to discuss it with him to help him make sense of it all. Cold or annoyed as Yazoo usually would be, in the end it usually turned out to be helpful; hence, he missed having his brother to talk to more than ever. Since he wasn't tired enough to feel the need to sleep, it seemed all that was in store for him was trying to process everything that was passing through his head.

Yet, barely half an hour later, as Loz had been dully watching the sun's rays fading and the sky growing darker, he was startled when Aurei suddenly twitched heavily, her eyes suddenly flying open as she lifted her head up. Loz hadn't been able to tell if she had been sleeping or not, given how perfectly still she had been resting, but either way, she appeared not to have rested well at all.

"I apologize," she said after a little bit, upon seeing Loz's puzzled expression, resting back against the tree. "I… saw Kallie and Yazoo."

Loz's excitement was almost uncontainable: the moment he had registered the idea that Aurei had seen Kallie and his brother, he had sat bolt upright, eagerly scanning the woods surrounding them as far as his vision could penetrate, expecting to discern the shapes of their missing comrades somewhere in the darkness. It didn't take him long to realize, with a crestfallen feeling, that that wasn't exactly what Aurei had meant.

"I wish it was that simple, that I had seen them nearby," she remarked, prompting a sullen Loz to slouch back down in shame. "But no… I meant that… I saw a vision of them."

"One… of those visions, you mean?" he asked, feeling even more sheepish about his overreaction.

"Yes. You'll be relieved to know that they both seem to be all right, although it looks like they're still walking. I guess Yazoo isn't being too easy on my sister, even though she looks close to collapsing herself."

"Did you see where they were? Are they anywhere close?"

Aurei sighed, putting a hand to her head as if she had a headache. "I wish I could say I know exactly where they are at the moment, but the uselessness of these visions is that they only allow me to _see_ my siblings, not locate them."

"Siblings…?"

"I explained to you before that my _siblings_ and I share such visions, didn't I?"

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that." Loz felt even more sheepish, especially when he just remembered the discussion yesterday where Aurei revealed even more information about her family.

"Yes, I saw Raide as well," continued Aurei. "Along with my cousin, May. I don't doubt Kallie's happy to see that she's alive, as she would have seen the same thing as I did."

"Think she and Yazoo would know where we are?" Loz piped up hopefully, although he knew better than to ask.

"It would be nice if Kallie would be able to recognize this area, but I highly doubt she's even been in these parts before," Aurei grunted, putting her head back against the tree behind her. "But, have no fear, Loz… I am more than certain we will reunite with them, some way or another."

Loz perked his head back up, his spirits suddenly brightened again. "Really?"

"Absolutely. Long ago, my mentor reassured me of this: no matter what has befallen us, or how far apart we come to be, what ties I share with my siblings ensure our paths will always cross again. I can't say I know for sure how, when, or where that time will be; all I know is that it is inevitable."

"Inevitable…" An elated grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he echoed the word. "We're really gonna see them again, we really are."

"Truth be told… I can't ensure that Yazoo will be with Kallie once we find her again, like I can't ensure Kallie Raide will have May with him when we eventually catch up with him. Although, I highly doubt even Kallie could aggravate Yazoo enough that he would want to leave her, since he is undoubtedly aware that Kallie could be his only way of finding us again."

"Yeah, let's hope so."

"Now, if you don't mind…" Readjusting herself into a more comfortable position, Aurei closed her eyes. "I'm going back to sleep… We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

This time, though, she wasn't the only one in that clearing who was finally getting some sleep. Even if Aurei couldn't say reuniting with the others was close at hand, what she had been able to tell him was nevertheless more than he could ask for; it was enough of a comfort that his restlessness was lifted, and he too fell asleep before long. No longer did he feel he was in the dark, fearful and uncertain whether or not his brother was alive or dead. As long as he knew the two had been able to make it out fine as well, that was all he needed. By a twist of fate, he had been able to find Yazoo once before, and he was confident it would happen again.

* * *

_She's… catching up…_

That was the first thing to cross Raide's bewildered mind, after the unexpected images had appeared to flash before his eyes. Too restless to sit still after he had finished his simple dinner, he had been just outside of the clearing where they had made their camp, practicing his swordplay. Though he was still on his own two feet, his sword now lay on the ground, having dropped it from being startled by the unexpected visions. Now, he was merely standing there, a hand pressed to his temple as if he had a headache, which wasn't far from what he was feeling.

The first time this had happened, only a few days ago, the suddenness of the visions had been so disorientating he had nearly lost control of his motorcycle. In fact, Raide had to pull over in order to get a grip on his equilibrium again, and to comprehend exactly what he had seen. His initial thought had been that he had hallucinated, possibly induced by having been somewhat dehydrated at the time.

But, as he had continued on his journey, and the day had gone onward, he had slowly become convinced that what he had seen had been for real: a woman in a blue dress, seated beneath a tree, and then the orange-haired girl herself, sitting in what looked like the back of a truck. Now that he had these visions, Raide was doubly certain that he had just had a clairvoyant experience. Somehow, he had been able to see his half-sisters from afar, although this time, they seemed to have others tagging along, and it didn't look like they were that far behind.

While he couldn't tell exactly where they currently seemed to be right now, especially since it was darkening where they were as well, he thought it just might be somewhere in the mountainous area outside of the Mythril Mines. Raide would know, as he had been there only two days previously. To anyone else, two days might seem like a fair distance away, but from his experience, Kallie and her companions were far too close for his liking.

_But I can get to Junon before they can, oh hell yeah._ His confidence in his speed, even on a motorcycle, was still unwavering. Raide knew he wasn't too far from Junon now; if he could floor it, with as little monster encounters and other obnoxious obstacles as possible, he could get there by tomorrow evening.

The only problem he could foresee, however, was being able to find some kind of ferry to the other continent. That could definitely be a hold up if he didn't get there in time for a ride, and if he missed any of them, it allowed even the slightest chance for them to catch up. As he knew the slums of Junon like the back of his hand, Raide was sure he could find a hiding place of some sort, although he doubted it would do him any good.

Somehow, with these visions and all the other metaphysical connections he apparently shared with his half-sisters, he doubted he would be able to hide for long at all before they would find some way to locate him. If he couldn't find a ferry in time, he could try finding someplace to hide May and take on his half-sisters and their silver-haired companions himself. But, even he was aware that he would be by far overpowered, especially since he didn't know how strong the silver-haired men would be.

_I just gotta make sure I get to Junon and get on a damn ferry before they can, that's all…_ It seemed so simple a concept, albeit he could not help but imagine what the consequences could be should he screw this up in any way. All this time, all this preparation, all this traveling, it would have gone down the drain. Everything he had been training and honing his abilities, body, mind and self for would have all been for _nothing_, and it simply made his whole being shake in fury. He couldn't let that happen, not after having come this far!

With a sudden growl, Raide snatched up his sword from the ground, snappishly sheathing it and whirling around to head back towards camp. Sleep or no sleep, he wasn't going to let a single damn minute go by with him idle. Every second he could be spending getting to his destination, he wasn't going to waste one moment. He hated the monotony of being on the road, but he knew he would hate himself forever if he failed this mission. Feeling like a storm was beginning to brew inside of him, one he knew wouldn't pass until he had reached the end of the road, he had taken one step when blue-white light suddenly flared behind him.

The unexpectedness of it would never fail to cause Raide to start in surprise, yet he had come to recover faster and faster after every time it occurred. Ever since he had kidnapped May, this had become almost a nightly routine, after all. Turning with a groan, for he knew he had to report on the day's events to his boss, he came face to face with one of her glowing serpentine creatures, appearing to be sprouting from the ground like a snakelike, overgrown vine.

"Howdy, boss," he grumbled to the serpent, folding his arms as he stared into its blazing azure eyes. "It's that time, huh? Boy, do I got a doozy to report tonight."

Although Raide had wanted to get his hands on his own cellular phone for the first time, hoping he would have that opportunity since he would be so far away from home base, his boss had stated it would be too much of an inconvenience. Instead, she had told him to answer to her 'servants' (although she had frowned upon him when he had referred to the serpents that way), for they could appear anywhere and at any time. It was still a complete inconvenience, however: the serpents were a one-way communication only, only able to act as her eyes and ears. He couldn't discuss anything with her if he needed to, only report on the day's events.

"Well, here goes." He took a deep breath. "Your timing's just perfect, boss, cuz I just had another one of those visions—yeah, those visions where I can see my _dear_ half-sisters. It's different from the first time, though. They're both still separated, looks like, but it looks like they've got some companions with them this time, and they plainly looked like those men with silver hair you told me about. Guess you were right, boss: seems like they _are_ teaming up with those freaks, just like you said.

"But that ain't all." Now Raide was prepared to vent. "They're catching up, boss, they're definitely catching up. Y'know that forest area, just after you leave the Mythril Mines? Yeah, I'm damn sure that's where they are right now, and I was just passing through there two days ago—_two days ago, _boss.

"Boss… what the hell can I do? What the hell can I do if I don't get to Junon in time? If I miss a goddamn ferry or _anything_ to get to Gongaga, then I'm screwed—this whole mission's screwed! I can't hide in Junon, cuz Kallie or Aurei'll be able to find me one way or another, and if they do, we're done for! I can't let that happen, I goddamn can't…" His hands clenched into fists as he gnashed his teeth furiously. "What the hell can I do, boss? _What the hell can I do?"_

Yet, Raide was well aware he might as well be ranting to a brick wall, because there was no advice or reassurance she could offer at the present moment. If there _was_ something either he or she could do about it, she wouldn't be able to tell him at all through her serpent. In fact, the serpent had barely moved at all during the entire time he had been venting, its fierce gaze fixed expressionlessly upon him, and it wouldn't leave until he himself confirmed there was nothing left to report.

For a few moments, Raide merely stood there, running a gloved hand through his unkempt hair, before he sighed dismally. "Forget it, boss. I know there's nothing you can do, other than whatever the hell you do with these serpents… That's all for tonight, boss, that's all I can say."

The serpent lingered a second more, as if to process every last one of his words, before it suddenly seemed to get sucked backward into the ground, vanishing with a flash of light like how it always appeared, yet not as brilliantly. With the absence of the serpent's glow, the forest seemed significantly darker than before as Raide's eyes readjusted to the lack of light. He did not move, staring past where the serpent had previously been, staring into the darkness beyond the trees, the hand that had been raking through his tresses now clenched around the hilt of his sword. It took a while before his fingers relaxed, and he abruptly turned around to head back towards camp, his intentions now even more clearly defined in his mind.

Upon reaching the encampment, dimly lit by the dying fire, he wasn't surprised to see that May was still awake. Not wide awake, understandably, but awake enough that Raide knew she must have heard every word he had said: he could see the hope amidst the apprehension she bore as she watched him walk towards the fire and proceed to stomp it out. Normally, Raide let the fire die down by itself, but that was only if he happened to be retiring to sleep.

"Raide…" the young girl spoke up tentatively. "Was that… was it really Kallie you were—?"

"Talking about? You betcha," he responded distractedly, sparks and embers flying out from beneath his feet. Nudging over charred logs to make sure he hadn't missed any hidden fires, Raide then went straight over to May and, much to her bewilderment, pulled her to her feet, yanking her in the direction of the motorcycle.

"Huh? What're you—?"

"We ain't got any time to waste, that's what," he explained, hoisting May up by her waist and placing her on her usual seat on the motorcycle. "Sleep if you can, but I'm driving through the night. I can't just sit here anymore."

"But, but you saw Kallie, right…?" she asked as he began to climb on in front of her. "You said she was catching up, didn't you?" Her small fists suddenly began to beat on his back, though they barely made him flinch. "Why're we going then? You said I could get to see her! I wanna see Kallie, I wanna—!"

"That's the whole point!" he snapped back, twisting around to glare down at her, resisting the urge to use profanity or clap a hand over her mouth to shut her up. "I said that you'd maybe get to _see_ her, not get rescued or anything if she was able to catch up! I ain't gonna let that happen, I ain't!"

The girl's lower lip trembled. "W-why…?"

"I can't, May, I just can't," he growled, before turning back around to start up the motorcycle's engine. _If I do… all of this—everything—will be for nothing… I'll never, __**ever**__ get the chance to finally see them… never._


	20. Progression

_**HAPPY HOLIDAYS, PEOPLES! :D**_

_Well, I always like to discuss any negative stuff first so I can get it out of the way, so let me start with something that has definitely been bugging me about the last chapter: I wish to explain myself about the Cloud and co. scene. First thing, I know I really screwed up the timeline with their side of the story, I really did, especially with how they're, like, several days behind everyone else. But, honestly, when I tried to rearrange their scenes so it made more sense chronologically, it actually ended up messing up everything I had written thus far. _

_Really, though, it was sort of intentional in the first place that it wasn't adhering to a specific timeline, just because of what would be happening with them eventually (no spoilers there, I assure you :P). I also want to apologize for having such a large gap (seven chapters, really?) between their appearances. Most likely, it's a result of bad planning on my part, which I'll admit is probably one of my bigger flaws as a writer. Again, though, it was also an issue of just being unable to find the appropriate place to include their next appearance. _

_HOWEVER, being the creative genius that I am, I have been thinking of a way to make them seem less neglected, yay! It will definitely involve reworking—not just rewriting—their last appearance, as well as inserting another scene somewhere in between Chapter 12 and 19, although the latter probably won't happen until after Embers is finished. But rest assured, readers, it will happen, it will happen. I SHALL MAKE AMENDS._

_Wow, long author's note is getting long, so let me conclude with the more positive news… HOLY SNAPPERCRACKLES WE'VE REACHED CHAPTER 20! HALLELUJAH! JOY TO THE WORLD! CELEBRATION TIME! Really, I never, ever saw myself getting this far on **any** story I've ever written or will write, so this is really a huge milestone for me. Needless to say, I'm proud of myself. :D_

_Oh yeah, and I totally changed the story's title. Just thought I'd let you know, in case you didn't see the new title in bold capitalized letters right underneath this… I'd say more about it, but I've explained it more in-depth in the updates section of my profile, so this author's note doesn't have to get any longer… Happy reading!_

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 20**

_Progression_

Dawn's first light was approaching when Yazoo awoke the next morning. A full night's rest was all that was required for him to feel completely refreshed and energized upon waking, coming to without so much as a yawn. All he really needed to do was stretch out, stiff from having sat in one position upon a hard surface for so long, but was on his feet within a minute and eager to continue on their journey.

Of course, it was only right afterwards that Yazoo experienced his first annoyance of the day: the orange-haired girl was still fast asleep, and most likely wouldn't be waking on her own anytime soon. From what he had seen of her sleeping habits, she was capable of sleeping like a rock, especially when she had a lack of proper rest. Though it was never an issue for him, he couldn't see the rock as having been very comfortable for her—for one, her position had changed during the night. Instead of being seated with her knees curled up against her body, she now lay on her side, utilizing her bag like a pillow as she had done the previous night.

Because she had fallen asleep before he had, though, he wasn't going to give her much leniency; she should have had plenty of rest by now, even for a human, and Yazoo wasn't going to let her hold up the journey anymore than she was probably already going to. Observing her for a few moments, contemplating how to best wake her, he then knelt down beside her, leaning in slightly towards her ear.

"Get up, girl," he said, as loudly as he could without raising his voice above the volume he preferred. "It's time to be going."

The girl barely even stirred. Half disbelieving, half irritated, Yazoo merely stared at her still undeniably sleeping form, before remembering that Aurei had mentioned the somewhat drastic measure she had to take to wake her sister the other morning. So, the girl happened to be a heavy sleeper—didn't that bode well for their journey. If it took a while before they were able to locate the others again, was this what he was going to have to deal with every morning? It already irritated him that it was probably going to take drastic measures to snap her back to wakefulness.

_Just how much more frustrating can you be?_ Though she might have come a long way since he had first met her several days ago, she had yet to get to the point where she wasn't such a hindrance anymore, and it was time something was done about that. As long as they were traveling together, he might as well be the one to knock that discipline she still needed into her head.

Reconsidering his methods, he came to conclude there could only be one surefire way to wake her up. If this didn't work, then this girl was truly pathetic—he just never thought he would ever use Velvet Nightmare for something like this. Rising to his full height and stepping back a few feet, drawing the firearm as he did so, he aimed the barrel straight up towards the sky and fired.

It was easily the most effective wake up call Kallie had ever had, even topping Aurei's icy method of waking her a couple of mornings prior—the gun blast sounded like a cannon fire more than anything else to her. The result was nothing short of what Yazoo had intended when she sat bolt upright with a gasp of alarm, yet what he hadn't anticipated was when she grabbed one of her chakrams and chucked it straight at him. Though the weapon had been thrown wildly, Yazoo still had to swiftly lean out of the way if he didn't want a deep gash in his arm.

The moment the chakram had left her hand, however, Kallie had managed to fully process exactly what had happened; her eyes widened considerably as she watched the chakram whiz by him, missing the silver-haired man by inches and continuing to fly somewhere into the trees, a loud wooden _thunk_ seconds later indicating where it had landed. But, retrieving the weapon was the last thing on her mind, since she was too busy staring at Yazoo and the gun in his hand, incoherent indignation bubbling up inside of her.

"_Sheesh_, what's your problem?" Kallie snapped. "That was a bit over the top, I think!"

"Considering your sleeping habits, I think it was rather necessary," was Yazoo's defense as he holstered Velvet Nightmare, still a little nonplussed that he had so narrowly avoided the chakram. At least she didn't let her guard down even when she was asleep, albeit that might only happen if it was an explosion that woke her.

Glowering, Kallie folded her arms. "Fine, I'm a heavy sleeper, but I'm not _that_ hard to wake up. Just a nudge or something would do, that works. In fact, next time maybe you'd better do that, so you don't risk losing your head someday."

The way he scoffed and rolled his eyes at that, Kallie knew it was more than his disbelief that she could one day be capable of decapitating anyone, let alone taking his own head. Even after that incident yesterday, he probably didn't want to get any closer than he had to physically, even if all he had to do was give her a nudge or two. Despite her tendencies to be a 'log' when she was asleep, though, that was really only when she didn't get enough rest. Now that she was actually getting a decent amount of sleep, things just might be changing—even her sleeping habits.

_What __**isn't**__ gonna be different about me when I'm through with this, huh?_ she wondered half-heartedly, yawning and stretching off the last of her tiredness, although she felt mostly awake by now. Kallie had to thank him for the jolt to her system, at least.

While she could tell it was before dawn, even the notion at how early in the morning it was wasn't giving her the urge to crawl back into bed, figuratively speaking. In fact, the idea of setting out so early actually delighted her, if it meant she could gain yet more ground on May and her captor. Knowing that Yazoo was the opposite of a dawdler was something she supposed she ought to feel grateful for, but she just wished he wouldn't be such an asshole about it all the time.

Like now, for instance: he was already heading back towards the path they had been traversing yesterday evening, not even giving her time to get up from the ground, let alone collect her belongings such as the chakram she had thrown. To her surprise, however, when Kallie snapped at him like she had yesterday to wait for her, he seemed to be considerate enough to wait this time. Of course, that wasn't without him admonishing her not to delay their getting back on the road.

"The sun's not even up yet," she grunted in rebuttal. But, as she herself didn't want to delay returning to their journey, Kallie immediately took off in the direction she had seen her chakram fly off in.

Even as she was leaving the encampment, however, she failed to notice how Yazoo's gaze was fixated upon her back, eying her with an enigmatic intent. Rather, in the minute it took for her to locate the weapon, it was hard to take her mind off that moment of politeness that Yazoo had shown, probably one of the only nice things he had ever done for her this entire trip—compared to all the other crap he had been giving her, anyway. Although she knew she shouldn't think much of it, for he was still acting like a complete douche, it remained ever significant to her.

_Could I… really be meaning something to him now?_ Kallie couldn't help but wonder as she finally spotted her other chakram, embedded in the trunk of a tree more than fifty yards from where she had inadvertently thrown it at Yazoo. _Maybe he's actually considering me to be a comrade, as much as the douche won't admit it._

She continued to play around with the idea in her head even as she examined the chakram, noting that it was actually buried quite a few inches into the wood. Had this struck her target at close range, it could have actually landed a harmful blow if Yazoo hadn't dodged out of the way. The notion made her shudder, yet she tried not to think about it as she gripped the handlebar of the chakram and began attempting to pull it out. It took a few tugs, but with how much she had noticed her strength increasing in the past couple of days, freeing her chakram from the tree was a notably easier task than it might have otherwise been.

Inspecting the chakram for damage, and relieved to find it was in its usual pristine condition, Kallie was actually starting to smile a little as she attached it beside its companion. Maybe the wake-up call had been rather abrupt and unexpected, but otherwise, the morning was going okay so far. Yazoo wasn't being as much of a jerk, she knew May was all right, as were Aurei and Loz, and she just might be gaining even more ground on Raide today. Sure, they still had to find their other companions again, but she was fully confident that they wouldn't be separated for long, and those visions especially seemed to tell her so.

_Today's gonna be just fine_, thought Kallie as she looked up to the lightening sky, breathing in the cool, morning air as her smile widened. _Everything'll be all right, I can just feel—_

The click of a gun reached her ears not a second too late; Kallie barely ducked in time as a gunshot was heard and the bark shattered above where her head might have been. Whirling about in alarm, she again barely had enough time to avoid a flash of metal as Yazoo swung his firearm at her, nearly stumbling over a tree root as she took a step backward. Yet, she didn't even have the chance to fumble for her chakrams before a kick connected with her jaw, knocking her senseless and sending her flying off her feet. His next move was so swift she was still in mid-air when he lashed out again with the firearm, striking her across the stomach and sending her straight back to the ground.

Kallie's back was the first thing to smack into the earth, knocking the wind clean out of her and rendering her even further senseless, so much so that it took her a few moments to fully register the pain. Even when she finally could, she barely had the mobility to clutch at her back or touch her jaw, let alone draw the breath to groan. It took her nearly a minute before she could finally sit up to see Yazoo standing a few feet away, eying her with a familiar disdain. While she was riddled with disbelief, however, bewildered that he had actually _attacked_ her, she was soon positively glaring at him.

"Now what the hell was _that_ for?" That was by far even more uncalled for! "Look, if you're still pissed about yesterday or something, I'm really—!"

"That was to test your state of awareness, girl." While Yazoo's voice was as controlled as ever, there was no mistaking his smugness over his triumph as he gazed down upon her. "Your defenses are so lax it's pathetic."

The explanation still didn't cut it for Kallie. "Like I was expecting my own comrade to come outta nowhere and beat the living daylights outta me! And you shooting at me to wake me up was uncalled for enough already!"

"Is that so? See if that will work against the next foe that chooses to ambush you, if they'll listen to such a petty excuse for your lack of focus. I'm sure your half-brother would be all ears."

Simply the mention of her half-brother made Kallie realize just how right Yazoo happened to be. He was correct, she would have been dead meat if Raide had chosen to attack her with her guard down; Yazoo had certainly been swift, and she was sure her brother would be even quicker about it. There was no doubt about it, she was still pitifully unprepared for the inevitable battle that lay ahead, somewhere in the future, and how nice it was of Yazoo to remind her of that.

"Isn't it nice to know you have my best interests in mind," replied Kallie, though with more resignation than sarcasm.

"Only because it would be unwise to let you die."

Just having been about to try and pick herself up again, Kallie froze in place, her breath catching a little in her chest. Slowly, she looked back up at Yazoo, disbelieving her ears. "What… did you say?"

His eyes flashed contemptuously then. "Don't let it go to your head, girl. Your death would merely be an inconvenience to me, that is all."

From his prior condescendence, Kallie had already gathered as much, yet the revelation she had made was unchanging, and it didn't stop the smirk from appearing on her face. "Oh, I heard you. You finally admitted I actually _am_ useful to you, didn't you?"

Simply judging by his fleeting flinch before he resumed his usual aloofness, Kallie knew Yazoo must have just realized that he had plainly stated that as well. It was certainly a victory on Kallie's part, and even Yazoo seemed to acknowledge that—although that didn't meant he was out of rebuttals just yet.

"In some respects… yes. But I would prefer to be traveling with someone who can watch her own back, so I don't have to compensate for your lack of attentiveness."

Not even that could wipe the smirk from Kallie's face, however; she was even starting to feel condescending herself as she at last rose to her feet. "Bring it on. You're not gonna have to worry about that for long, 'cuz you won't catch me off guard like that again."

Regarding her briefly again, it was without hesitation that Yazoo suddenly took her up on that challenge—although she happened to be ready for him this time. Again he dashed straight towards her, yet when he swung Velvet Nightmare at her like before, he found it was stopped short with a clang of metal. Not just one, but both of her chakrams had been drawn to meet his firearm in a parry, catching the gun's barrel where the two discs met. For a few short moments, it actually became a struggle between the two to overpower the other, leaving Yazoo amazed at how her strength held up against his, and he was even trying to push her back. Then, there was a sudden shift in the air between them, an ever so slight rise of heat emanating from the girl's weapons, and he barely managed to call upon his Fire magic just when she activated hers.

The resulting explosion forced them to leap back simultaneously, landing approximately thirty feet apart from each other and assuming battle-ready stances again—or at least, the girl did. She was fully prepared for another assault, either from him or to attack him herself, her weapons held at the ready; her face was set and her expression determined, her eyes blazing, boring into his with an intense focus. Once again, however, Yazoo felt it was not the girl who stood before him, but that other, nameless individual emerging again in her stead.

While he could tell that she was ready to continue the skirmish, he had Velvet Nightmare half-raised, actually tentative whether or not he should follow through and finish what had been started. But, either to the girl's astonishment or frustration, Yazoo assumed a relaxed stance, stowing his firearm in its holster with a quiet scoff. Indeed, she did appear quite bewildered at first, although that soon turned to impatience; her alter ego subsequently vanished as her usual self returned.

"C'mon, you gonna keep fighting me or not!" she snapped, pointing at him with a chakram still in hand. "I thought you wanted to test me!"

"I have, and I've seen enough for now."

The girl looked initially surprised, causing her to lose her own battle stance entirely, although that irritatingly haughty smirk then pervaded her expression. "_Oh_, and you saw that I can probably beat the shit out of you now, huh? That's why you wanted to stop, is it?"

Though Yazoo had seen her formidability, the idea that she could somehow defeat him as she was now was still so far-fetched that he could laugh. He did chuckle deridingly, starting to turn away from her. "You can only ever hope to."

"Aren't _you_ the modest one." Somehow, she still didn't sound angry; there remained an edge of complacency in her intonation. "Well, maybe even a cocky bastard like you can tell me one thing: am I no longer so _'incompetent'_ to you anymore?"

Of all the responses Kallie was imagining from him, she was fully expecting that he would treat her with his usual indifference, continuing to walk onwards either in silence or with only so much as a scoff. Therefore, it took her quite off guard when he actually stopped in his tracks, partially turning back around to look at her over his shoulder. His expressionless was as blank as ever, his gaze nothing short of analytical as he glanced her over before directly meeting her eyes for one moment.

"I've… underestimated your abilities," he said, turning away from her again. "I will say that much."

"And you know what? That's good enough for me."

That was an honest statement on Kallie's part. All this time, she knew the one thing she had clamored for the most was respect from the man walking before her, the one person who had consistently refused to look at her with anything else beside scorn and apathy. She was still getting at least some of that from him, and she was aware that her own arrogant attitude wasn't going to help that, yet all that mattered to her now could be summed up in one word: progress.

At long last, she was earning that so-desired respect from him. Maybe it wasn't as much as she wanted yet, but it was still something; it was still enough to give her the confidence that she was finally getting somewhere with the most aloof, conceited individual she had ever known.

"Come along, then." At last, Yazoo was heading towards the path for good. "Now that that's out of the way, it's about time we continued our journey. We have much ground to cover."

"When _aren't_ we gonna have a lot of ground to cover, huh?" she remarked, finally storing her chakrams away now that she was pretty certain Yazoo wasn't going to be launching another surprise attack on her, then broke into a momentary jog to catch up with the silver-haired man.

For some reason, though, as she followed in his wake, noteworthy though this accomplishment was to her… it was making her a lot happier than Kallie thought it ought to. As much as she wanted to, she was actually fighting the urge to let a broad smile spread across her face—somehow, it just wouldn't feel _right_ if she did. Deep down, though, she knew it had something to do with those novel, unwanted feelings that had surfaced in her, which she had been having enough trouble dealing with as they were.

_It's like… No, I **do** completely hate his guts. But, at the same time…_

Even in her head, the thought would trail off in her refusal to admit the truth. It was difficult enough already to believe that she could feel anything but hatred for him: who he was as a person, how he consistently disrespected her, and especially because of what he had done to her cousin. Yet, it just so happened that he was also an undeniably good-looking man who, in spite of his arrogance and cold aloofness, possessed a positively enticing appeal, and which not even her immense loathing could provide her some sort of resistance against.

Just the very idea of it made Kallie want to pound her fist against her skull, as if to beat those very feelings out of her. Damn it, she had been hoping it would all wind up to be ephemeral, that it would have died away as early as last night—in fact, it should have! She had tried thinking back on every bastardly thing he had ever done to both her and May, recalling every reason she had to despise him, certain that would have been more than enough to eradicate those feelings.

But, almost simultaneously, against her bidding she would also recall the moments, few and far between though they were, where she had felt that… something else, recollections that suddenly weren't so unpleasant anymore in hindsight. She would remember that little incident in her apartment, and the night before last when she had simply gazed at him, attempting to make sense of exactly what he was. Even that mishap yesterday, when she had accidentally fallen against him, no longer made her cringe in shame.

In its place, reflecting back on it made a strange thrill bolt through her—especially when she remembered how the handle of his holstered gun had dug into her stomach, how her cheek had brushed against his long hair… She had felt the smoothness of his jacket, and she could have sworn she had actually gotten a whiff of the scent of the leather too. In particular, there was no forgetting how undeniably _firm_ he was; he really did seem to be nothing but muscle, though she had already seen that evidence for herself. But, when she thought about exactly what that thrill was, she could not dismiss it was the kind of kind that she hadn't felt since the last time she had been interested in a guy, and simply recognizing it as such made her want to punch herself again.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it all._ Just how, _how_ could it have come down to all this? Had it all started when she had seen him shirtless? That night she had spent gazing at him before having fallen asleep? Hell, had it even started the very first time she had ever laid eyes upon him, as he had laid incapacitated and helpless before her in Midgar's ruins? Where it had all started, Kallie couldn't say for sure, but she knew that whatever she was feeling for him could have only been gradually developed amid her desires to impress him. Now, sparked into clarity after yesterday's incident, she had a feeling that these newfound feelings wouldn't be vanishing anytime soon—especially now that she was no longer so inferior in his eyes.

_It'll go away soon, it's got to_, Kallie thought, staring at the back of his silver-haired head, grateful that he couldn't see the debate going on in her mind.

She knew better than to believe anything could work out between them; the jerk didn't seem to acknowledge even what friendship or companionship was, after all, and she was lucky that he even considered her to be an ally. Whatever happened to develop between them, she hoped, would only last as long as they were fighting against their unknown foes, until she could finally rescue May, and then they would hopefully part ways for good. That was all it should take.

As much as Kallie wanted to be reunited with May as soon as possible, at the same time, she wished she had more time to prepare herself. Even at the rate her powers were developing, she wasn't confident that they would be entirely ready by the time the battle came. She didn't want to have to completely rely on her other comrades either to help out, especially when she desired her own personal vengeance against Raide for having dragged her into this mess in the first place.

_Some way or another, I will definitely make him pay for what he's done,_ she fumed silently. If she lost that chance to punish her half-brother, Kallie knew she would never feel at ease with herself—even if she managed to recover May.

_But hey, look on the bright side… If even Yazoo admitted I'm finally competent, then I can't be __**that**__ unprepared._ There was no one she would rather practice her skills against than Yazoo, if only because of the many opportunities she would have to further make an impression on him. Just thinking of what close interactions she would have with him made her skin tingle with excitement, before she suddenly smacked a hand to her forehead.

_Damn it._ How so stupidly careless of her, letting her thoughts stray back to him like that, and it wasn't made any easier on her when Yazoo happened to take notice.

"Why did you just do that?"

Kallie could just sense him eying her over his shoulder again, and she didn't dare remove her hand from her face in fear of exposing the flush in her cheeks.

"N-nothing," she muttered, quickly improvising. "Just thought there was a stupid fly in front of me, or… something like that."

It was only when Kallie knew he had looked away once more, undoubtedly rolling his eyes, that she uncovered her face again, running the hand through her bangs. Suppressing a groan, she glowered at the back of his head, marveling that he couldn't pick up on all the hate she was channeling his way.

_You know what, Yazoo? Maybe you're at least a jerk who's nice to look at, but damn you. Damn you and your looks. Damn it all to hell._

**(BREAK HERE.)**

While Kallie and Yazoo had certainly gotten an early start on the day, the same couldn't be said of the other separated half of their party. Though the sun had half-risen above the horizon at this point, both Aurei and Loz were resting still in the clearing. Loz was certainly awake—he had been for the past hour, in fact, but he had spent most of it staring Aurei's way, debating if he should wake her. Only, he was reluctant to do so out of his worry that she still needed rest, after all that she had been through yesterday.

_Is she… really gonna be all right?_ was what he had kept wondering. Normally, during the past couple of mornings at first light, she had been able to rouse herself from her sleep without needing either of the two brothers to do so, which was undoubtedly a habit she had formed from her years of training. He just had a feeling she would end up admonishing him for having let her sleep in when they had traveling to do, and it might not end up doing much good in the end.

At last, the sun had risen high enough into the sky, and golden rays of morning sunlight had found their way through the trees; it was their bright intensity that finally woke Aurei from her slumber. Loz nearly jumped when she stirred, groaning slightly as she put a hand to her face, at first to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness and cover her mouth when she yawned. After rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes, she still tiredly glanced over at Loz, then over at the morning sun, and then suddenly sat bolt upright.

"Is it—? Damn it, how could've I just…!" Upon seeing how clearly agitated Aurei was from having overslept, Loz at once knew he had been making a bad mistake this entire time, and felt even more guilty with the glower she soon trained on him. "Loz, you're awake! Why didn't you wake me up too?"

He was still scrambling for words to explain himself, sheepish with his actions, when Aurei suddenly jumped to her feet, only pausing to stretch out her stiff muscles before grabbing her possessions and abruptly heading towards the path they had been on yesterday. All the while, as he was getting onto his own feet, he was hearing her mutter, "How could we have wasted time like this, when we have so much road to cover today? And when we need to find Kallie and Yazoo as well…?"

Suddenly, she then stopped and turned to him, alarming Loz with how furious she appeared to be. "Why didn't you wake me up, Loz? You know we have a lot of traveling to do, and we have our comrades to find!"

Already so flustered by how mad she was at him, Loz merely rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her forceful gaze. "Just… just thought you… needed some extra rest, that's all."

That really didn't seem to cut it for Aurei—if anything, he had touched a nerve in her. "Do I really seem so weak to you? I'm not like other humans, Loz. I have trained for ordeals such as this my entire life; I don't need such luxuries, especially when we have far greater priorities!"

"S-sorry." His gaze was completely trained on the ground, actually attempting to hide the tears that were starting to sting his eyes from her admonishment. "I'm… I was just worried 'bout you, Aurei."

For a second, Loz was certain that she would continue her furious reprimand, and was thus taken aback when she sighed, suddenly seeming a lot less angered with him. Tentatively looking back at her, he was relieved to see that her expression had softened, indicating she had at last recollected her usual composure.

"I… apologize, Loz," she said, quietly yet earnestly. "I suppose you're right, that I ought to take it easier this morning… It's true, it has been a while—a long while—since I've endured such a strenuous battle, and I probably pushed a little far beyond my normal limits. Even my magic nearly ran dry when I created that wall of ice, and I can't even remember the last time that happened.

"But, really, I'm fine now—a full night's rest is all that I needed. I guess…" Aurei sighed again. "Well, no, I _am_ rather distraught that we've gotten such a late start this morning. But, as long as we don't run into any other obstructions today, I guess we'll still be able to reach Fort Condor around nightfall."

At that point, Loz had actually been smiling a bit, wiping his eyes slightly on the back of his glove, thankful that Aurei had come to forgive him for his blunder. Yet, at the mention of Fort Condor, his smile faded a little as he looked at her again, nonplussed. "Fort… Condor?"

With how Aurei's expression became stern, however, he immediately felt sheepish again. They had talked about this before, he just knew it, but he had probably forgotten or had missed out on that discussion completely, and Aurei merely helped to confirm the latter for him.

"You weren't listening again, were you? Really, should I expect less of you…? Your brother certainly would've taken measures to remember." When he was certain that she would have been annoyed with him again, though, she actually sounded amused instead—a little exasperated, but probably not as irritated as she would have been otherwise. "I can talk about it again, but let's do so while we're on the move. It's about time we were on our way."

While they did begin walking almost immediately, Aurei did not resume talking about their next destination straight away, although Loz did proceed to inquire about it anyway, out of curiosity.

"Why're we going to Fort Condor? Isn't that kinda outta our way, if we're going to Junon?"

"It would, if we were going on foot the entire way. But, as that would take us nearly a week, even if we're taking a direct route, then heading to Fort Condor would actually serve our purposes."

Loz was even more confused than before. "How?"

"Simple. We take the transport that resides at Fort Condor, which will cut down an otherwise weeklong journey to perhaps only half a day."

"Transport?" he repeated, even more curiously. Somehow, he had the feeling that no such thing resided at Fort Condor, unless in recent years, things had changed there and he simply wasn't aware of it. But, how would he know even that…?

"Yes, an airship, supplied by W.R.O. itself." She cleared her throat. "In the past couple of years, W.R.O. has had several projects underway where they're attempting to construct vehicles and various other machinery that run on fuel made from oil, now that mako energy has all but vanished. Right now, they're in the midst of creating a whole fleet of airships that run on this new technology. Although, the rumors are that they actually _found_ these vehicles and are simply in the midst of repairing them so that they'll be functional once more.

"So far, they've only created three that are actually in use—prototypes, I suppose you could call them. One of them is personally piloted by the head of the airship division, while the other two are being used as cargo ships for the time being. As my father and I were able to find out, it so happens that one of them makes a stop at Fort Condor, and then next in Junon."

That was all Loz needed to hear to deduce then what they had to do at Fort Condor. "And we're gonna hitch a ride on one?"

"You've got it. Hopefully, once we get there we won't have to wait too long, although I don't believe so. The airship stops there at least once every other day, as far as I know. It'll still be far more efficient than trying to walk all the way to Junon, anyway."

While Loz had to wonder just how Aurei knew so much, and how she had found out such specific details about the airship, an urgent question came to him that he did not hesitate to ask. "Hey, Yazoo and Kallie know about this, don't they?"

By this time, they had finally reached the cleared, rocky trail that wound its way down the hillside, and Aurei had paused once again to give him a reassuring look. "Of course they do, or at least Yazoo does. We did discuss this the other night while Kallie was asleep, and I didn't have much opportunity to tell her yesterday, but I'm certain he will explain it to her. As much as she annoys him, even he would understand the importance of them cooperating."

"Yeah, he would." Just thinking back on the antagonism that his brother and Aurei's sister openly expressed toward each other made him chuckle. "How do you think they're getting along?"

"Is that really a question…? Well, while I'm sure that they'll continue attempting to bite each other's heads off, they'll find a way to work together soon enough." She started walking again, and Loz hastened to follow. "That's what I'm hoping, at the very least."

After all that Loz had seen of the conflicts, bickering, and arguments that often went on between Kallie and Yazoo, and which were practically the only things that ever occurred during their interactions, it was certainly strange to think of them as coming to any sort of agreement or resolution. Both possessed a certain amount of pride—particularly Yazoo—that would take a great effort to bend if they were to get along.

Then again, as Aurei had pointed out, she was certainly correct in saying that Yazoo would be rational enough to realize the importance of cooperation, and that just might do the trick. Loz had to say, though, that if it did happen, he was going to miss seeing the fights they had on a regular basis. They always served as a source of great amusement to him, especially at seeing how easily Kallie would get fired up in reaction to Yazoo's usual indifference.

"I admit, I'm curious to know… what do _you_ think of my sister, Loz?"

Surprised, Loz actually started a little at the unexpected question, for it didn't seem like something Aurei would ask. But, as they had been on the topic of Kallie and Yazoo, he supposed it had stricken Aurei's curiosity.

"Well…" Again, he found himself scratching the back of his head, for the question was harder to answer than he had thought. He wasn't really sure what to think of this newfound sense of comradeship that he felt towards her. "I mean, I did kinda doubt her at first, since Yazoo didn't like her and she was a bit annoying at first… But… but now she's turning out to be all right."

"I'm sure Kallie would be glad to know that, if she were here."

"Yeah… Why're you asking?"

"It just seems interesting to me, that you appear to take a liking to her when your brother doesn't. Then again… it seems as if Yazoo doesn't like getting along with anyone, except you."

Reminded of Kallie's comment yesterday about Yazoo not having any friends, Loz had to laugh. "Yeah, but he's still a big meanie to me."

For some reason then, Aurei gave him a strange look over her shoulder, something that seemed close to disbelief. Loz merely blinked in response, unsure of what to make of her expression.

"What…?"

"…Nothing." Though Aurei started walking away again, and he followed, Loz still was left curious about her reaction, trying to think over what he might have said.

"What, that Yazoo's a meanie…? But, he is!"

"Of course I realize that, that Yazoo's… not a very nice person. It's just the way you put it that I… well, find rather interesting."

"…He's a meanie?" Loz still couldn't figure out why that seemed to be so intriguing to her, or why she still sounded bemused about it. "Is that… something bad, calling him that?"

"N-no." Was Aurei even stuttering about it? "It's just, hearing such an epithet from—from someone of your age, it's…" She suddenly shook her head. "Nevermind, forget I said anything."

But, he still wanted to know! Maybe she didn't like it when people were called meanies? "I can't… say that about anybody anymore?"

"No, I was merely saying…" This time, Aurei actually planted a palm to her forehead. "You know what? You can say it, you can say it as much as you want."

"I _can_ say meanie?"

"Yes, _yes_, you can. Really, just forget that I said anything. It doesn't matter."

"But, why did you—?"

"I said forget about it."

"But—"

"_Loz_." The icy glance she gave him was more than enough to make him clam up for good. "Really… enough. Let's… let's just concentrate on getting to Fort Condor, all right? We've had enough delays today as it is."

**(BREAK HERE.)**

"Fort Condor, huh? Definitely beats walking all the way to Junon any day."

That, Yazoo could say, was one of the few things he could agree on with the orange-haired girl, although he still couldn't bring himself to admit it to her face. Hence, the discussion Aurei had hoped they would have, where Yazoo had just explained to Kallie all about their next destination, came to a halt for the time being. It was slightly past midday now; the two had since left the woods outside of the Mythril Mines far behind, and they had traversed a fair distance across the Junon Plains.

At the moment, however, the girl's human appetite had caused them to stop, so she could have lunch and satiate her hunger. Currently, they were both seated upon the same boulder, looking out in opposite directions across the fields that were far more expansive than the Kalm Plains. As there was perhaps only two feet of space between them, Yazoo had to admit that he was surprising himself right now by such closeness, and he somehow didn't feel the usual repulsion of her presence being so near.

But, he was actually willing to believe it was all because the girl simply wasn't being the nuisance Yazoo was convinced she would be. Now that it was just the two of them for the time being, Yazoo had been fully expecting her to be even more of an annoyance than usual, that he would be loathing every moment he had to be in her presence, and he would have more reason to despise her by the time they were reunited with the others. Especially after the incident both yesterday and this morning, he hadn't been able to see how she _wouldn't_ be vexing him, one way or another.

True, those and other similar past happenings still piqued his nerves whenever he reflected back on them, yet it still wasn't enough to make him utterly despise her like he used to. Although she was a bit close for his liking, he didn't feel repulsed enough to get up and find a spot farther away, to put himself at a more comfortable distance from her. Indeed, just the idea that she actually _wasn't_ getting on his nerves for once had him rather bemused, for he had never believed it possible that she would earn the amount of respect she was getting from him.

Her attitude alone during today's travels had been certainly impressing him. Even when she needed to stop and eat, that was only when her stomach had audibly rumbled, and she had politely asked for a respite. Whenever they'd had a monster encounter, she had actually defeated their enemies with little to no effort on her part. She had especially proved herself during the last battle against a Zemzelett and a couple of Formulas, the remains of which still lay nearby. Hence, contrary to his beliefs… the girl really wasn't being that bad of a comrade after all.

_Perhaps I really have been trying to create excuses all along to despise her,_ he wondered, having been reminded of her accusation yesterday. Then again, he happened to possess _reasons_ and not just excuses as to why she still didn't deserve his utmost respect: she was still an insolent human, simple as that.

_But, when she longer seems to be so human…?_ There was still that potential; her sister, after all, appeared to be almost more machine in her stoicism than human, hence why he had far more respect for her. So, would even he run out of reasons to dislike the girl once she became something similar? Somehow, the idea made him want to laugh.

"Hey, I'm finished now," came the girl's voice from beside him. "Ready to hit the road again?"

"As ever."

While Yazoo rose to his feet immediately, the girl remained seated on the rock as she took a few moments to gather her belongings together. Normally, it would have been characteristic of Yazoo to simply continue on walking ahead and force the girl to catch up with him, since she clearly wasn't ready to go when he was. Remarkably, however, for the second time that day he decided to wait for her instead of leaving her behind. Not only did he no longer see any point in it, but by this time, he had figured she would merely start snapping at him again for not waiting and inevitably spark some argument between them. He had managed to steer clear of her insolence thus far during today's trip, and he wished to keep avoiding it as long as possible.

As Yazoo looked out in the direction of their next destination, the wind then picked up around them, flattening the grass in waves with its strong gust and whipping Yazoo's hair about, forcing him to pin it down with one hand. Though he wasn't sure if this was usually the region's weather, or if it just happened to be a particularly blustery day, it certainly was windier here than it had been on the Kalm Plains. When the wind finally died down, allowing Yazoo to irritably fix his hair again, it was then he had the feeling of someone's eyes upon him.

Sure enough, once he glanced back over his shoulder, he briefly caught the girl staring his way before she flinched, abruptly averting her gaze from his. With a small shake of her head, she busied herself again with her pack, hoisting it onto her back and immediately walking onward, seemingly refusing to look at him again all the while.

_Huh, she's doing it again…_ Yazoo had to say, that was probably one of the only things she had been doing that was somewhat bothering him. It wasn't particularly annoying, as it had only occurred a few times thus far, just something he found curious. He was still wondering why she had smacked a hand to her forehead earlier, for he was sure it hadn't had anything to do with flies. Although he believed it had something to do with him, he couldn't ascertain exactly what it could be, nor did he really care. As long as it wasn't going to be an interference in some way, he really wasn't going to concern himself with it.

Skirting the corpses of their most recent opponents, they were once more on their way with Yazoo in the lead, and once more traveling in taciturnity. That one aspect of their journey hadn't changed as of yet, for they wanted to keep their mind on the road ahead and their surroundings. The girl especially seemed to be more alert than usual, no doubt because of his upbraiding early this morning; he was at least proud that he had been able to invoke that change in her. She was keeping up with it enough that, in the few times they did converse today, he wasn't as annoyed with her. It was only when there didn't appear to any enemies in sight that they had such discussions, such as now.

"Say, I don't think you ever did tell us before—or me, at least," the girl spoke up, after roughly ten minutes had passed in silence. "But, do you really need to go to Junon too? Or are you only going because we are?"

"What, do you not want us to come along?"

She sighed. "_No_, that's not why I'm asking. Like I said, I'm just wondering because you or Loz haven't said anything about where you guys need to go. Is it Junon or not?"

"We are headed to Junon," Yazoo confirmed for her, deciding not to risk provoking the girl's insolence by goading her. "You… remember that Loz and I are searching for our mother, correct?"

"I sure do. You think she's in Junon, or something?"

"Yes, we have a lead that… possibly points to Junon."

Yet, he then hesitated, for that clearly wasn't the truth, and it didn't feel right to lie about it, even to the girl. Was it worth censoring such information anymore? Mother had told him to place his trust in the girl and her sister, so was it a wise decision to tell her the truth? Did the girl even deserve to hear such a thing? Somehow, however, she had been able to pick up on the fact he had something more to say from the way she was looking at him, and he at last gave in.

"No…" As the girl gave him an inquiring look, he plowed onward. "No, we _do_ know that she is there. We are certain of it. After all… she told us herself."

The girl definitely seemed amazed by that. "She… _did?_ But, I thought you said you didn't have any contact with her whatsoever! How could she—?"

"Did I really say such a thing? No… She is able to speak to us whenever she desires. Though we can only hear her voice, it is enough for her to tell us what must be done, and where we must go."

"How… _does_ she talk to you, then?"

"…In our minds." Even for Yazoo, it was hard to explain such a concept, yet he found it curious that the girl suddenly didn't seem so surprised anymore by what he had told her.

"Really, she does…? I… I see."

Now it was Yazoo's turn to get the feeling there was more information that was being withheld than revealed—he could just tell from her intonation that there was something else she wanted to say, and he was irked by her reluctance. He had made the uncertain decision to confide in her about Mother's ways of communication, and it was only fair that the girl do the same with whatever she was unwilling to divulge to him.

"Do you find that so unnatural, girl?" he asked, eying her with scrutiny. Although he had thought that would provoke her insolence again, he was relieved when the girl appeared resigned in her reply.

"Y'know what? I don't, actually, and not just because you're so _unnatural_ yourself. In fact…" She suddenly chuckled. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel better, all of a sudden, because I don't think I'm losing my mind as much anymore."

"Then, you're saying you also—"

"Hear a voice in my head? Bingo." The girl started chuckling again, shaking her head as if in disbelief. "Really, even though it's been happening to me, I still can't believe _I'm_ saying something like that. If I'd told anybody else that, they'd—"

Yazoo didn't exactly care what others would think of her sanity. "Who, then, would you say is speaking in your head?"

"—Think I was crazy," she bluntly finished her sentence, regardless if he had interrupted, but continued without further remark. "Honestly… I can't really say, and I never get the chance to ask. It _seems_ to be a guy talking to me, that much I know, and all he ever tells me is that… he's there to guide me.

"Well, that he has, I can say that much. If it weren't for him, I doubt we would've ever made it out of the Mythril Mines."

"So, it was because of him that you knew there was another exit?" He should have suspected as much.

"Yep, and that's the last I've heard of him so far." The girl then sighed. "It really would be nice if he'd tell me that Aurei and Loz are really going to Fort Condor, or especially if my half-brother's really going to Junon… But, I guess since he hasn't popped up again to tell me otherwise, hopefully that means we are going in the right direction."

"Hopefully."

That he uttered almost absentmindedly, for he was far too occupied with this major revelation that had given him even deeper insight into the girl's strange capabilities. Moreover, there was yet another person or being that he needed to identify and learn more about, if he was to discover the truth behind her and her siblings' powers. While Yazoo did have the urge to prod her more about whom this 'voice' could be, he did believe she wouldn't be able to tell him anything more, as she genuinely didn't seem able to discern anything more about it herself.

Nonetheless, there was still one thing that had clearly been defined for him: yet another similarity had been revealed between him and this girl, whether or not either of them would admit it. Both of them could hear a voice in their head that served to guide them on their respective missions, that much he could ascertain. In addition to that… it was yet another reason why she, too, was a 'freak' like him, as much as she sought to deny it. He was tempted to point out that connection to her, but had a feeling she must have—or would eventually—come to realize that herself. The girl didn't seem to want to pursue the topic anyway.

"So, you're gonna be searching for your mom when you get to Junon? Do you know where you can find her?"

"We will know her location upon our arrival," he replied. _We __**must**__… _Surely Mother would guide them to her herself, and not have them blindly wander about the city for hours, perhaps even days on end… No, she wouldn't be so cruel to have them do such a thing.

"Then, do you know… how long it might take to find her?"

"I do not, as of yet." From her line of questioning, however, Yazoo was beginning to deduce just why she was making such inquiries of him, and it was then he could not help but taunt her. "Are you afraid of being without us? Can you not confront your half-brother unless we're there to aid you?"

"In case you forgot, that _was_ the deal we made," the girl huffed in retort.

"But, that was before you discovered your abilities, no?"

A frustrated growl escaped from her. "And also before we found out there are a billion other things that are out to get us! Fine, I'll admit, I still want that bastard Raide all to myself so I can personally beat his sorry ass for all that he's done. But, who knows what else he'll have with him, if he's there in Junon? And damn it, he'd _better_ be there too," she added, in a slight undertone.

"Anyway… As much as you won't admit it yourself, you know damned well you or Loz would've been screwed yesterday in the Mines without us. As much as I don't wanna admit it myself, me and Aurei would've been too, if you guys weren't there. Obviously, a lot of good's come out of our alliance, don't you think?"

In spite of her insolence, seeing that she was actually using her head made Yazoo smirk. "Of course. Yet, are you certain you're not saying it's merely because you're still greatly unprepared for that confrontation, should it occur in Junon?"

"…Kind of, I guess," the girl answered after a moment, then sighed. "Well, no point in lying here, even to you… Yeah, I am pretty anxious about finally meeting my half-brother again. Like I said, I wanna face him myself, but… I just—"

"Then, you _are_ ill-prepared."

"There's just a lot that's gonna be at stake, that's what! And I don't wanna be screwing anything up if I'm finally gonna be rescuing May!" She continued more calmly. "Look, Yazoo… Even if you did flat out deceive me before, and I still hate your guts, I've been able to trust both you and Loz this far, and… and I wanna keep doing so. I don't know what this alliance means for my future now, but as long as it means I can get May back… I really don't care.

"Besides…" This time, out of the corner of his eye, he could see the girl's earnest gaze fixated upon him. "Does it really seem like much of a coincidence anymore… that you and I met? That you were able to find your brother, and I my sister? And now we both have the same enemy?"

Nearly half a minute passed in silence as they continued to walk onward, Kallie still watching Yazoo, waiting for the answer she was starting to believe he wasn't going to give; he was keeping his gaze directed ahead of him, seemingly avoiding her question. Just when she was thinking it was best to forget about it, however, his unexpected response made her start a little, as such replies from him usually did.

"I… would agree. At this point, even _I_ am finding it difficult to believe our situation could be purely coincidental."

Truthfully, though, ever since Mother herself had told him to place his trust in the two sisters, Yazoo had stopped believing it could have been a coincidence—albeit, he still couldn't say it had all been because of some strange twist of fate. Nonetheless, there was no denying that their alliance hadn't occurred by chance; exactly how it might have come to be was just another question he had when he finally found Mother in Junon.

"Well, you and I agreeing on something for once—isn't that a shock? Is that some sign we're gonna keep sticking together or what?"

Yazoo then finally looked over at her, still maintaining his enigmatic gaze. "What it signifies is of no consequence for the time being. It would merely be unwise for us to part ways, considering how you and your sister have been useful to our… search."

"It's so nice to know that we're comparable to tools." While the girl was utilizing her usual sarcasm, though, she suddenly chuckled. "But, I guess that as long as it means you're not gonna ditch us again, then that's good news. Now then, back to my original question: you guys gonna stick with us in Junon or not?"

"And my answer is the same as before: it will depend on the circumstances upon our arrival, whether or not your assistance will be necessary. Keep in mind, however, that no matter what, Loz and I are to complete our search on our own. Understand?"

"Perfectly, 'cuz I said myself I wanna beat Raide by myself. And you know what?" A slight edge of haughtiness crept into her voice. "You're so obviously dedicated to finding your mother, maybe now you could finally understand how important it is for me to rescue my cousin, because… May means just as much to me, and I would do just as much to get her back, if you haven't guessed that by now."

This time, Yazoo truly did not answer her, for he was suppressing the urge to laugh at her, mocking the girl for having ever made such a comparison.

_No, girl… you are wrong. So very wrong._

The girl's ignorance of his true situation was downright laughable to him. There was nothing that could possibly compare to Mother's mission, the mission she had given him and Loz to locate her and fulfill her wishes. There could simply be nothing to make him consider pursuing anything else other than the mission she had set before them. There was no one of greater importance than Mother, no one who could possibly be above her—not the girl, or her cousin. Not her sister, or her half-brother, let alone all the other beings on this planet. There was simply nothing that could compare.

_Nothing._

**(BREAK HERE.)**

_Oh, Yazoo, you just won't stop being an ignorant, ignorant bastard, will you? At least you're **finally** not being a total asshole for once—goodness gracious, that took you a while, didn't it?_

_But, enough of talking to fictional characters who aren't even my own creations. Minus the lengthy author's note at the beginning, this chapter has actually been shorter than other chapters I've been releasing so far. I know, I said somewhere else I really shouldn't worry about chapter length, like it really matters, but I'm just doing it for consistency's sake, mostly._

_Well, with this being Chapter 20 (still can't believe it…), I think this is the appropriate place to say that the climax is finally in sight! Hence, it is approaching that time to start weaving the threads together for this installment of Illusory Flame, and boy, there sure are a hell of a lot of them. It's the first time I've written a true climax to anything I've written, so I sure hope I can do it right, although it might involve a bit of changes in upcoming chapters to ensure that everyone gets their fair share of story in Embers (cough-includingCloud-cough-). Speaking of conclusions, I don't think I'll be able to wrap up this story completely by Chapter 25, but I'm pretty sure it won't take more than Chapter 30. At least, that's what I'm hoping. XD_

_To avoid making another lengthy author's note, let's end it right about now. As always, feedback is appreciated, so let me know what you think of this update and especially the new title. Once again, Happy Holidays to everybody, and I shall see you guys in 2010!_


	21. Somewhere Out There

_Hey there, guys! Welcome to the first Illusory Flame update of 2010, and boy do I sure hope I'll be able to finish the first volume this year. It's sure been a long road! Actually, come to think of it, it's been just about a year since I started updating again after my very long hiatus… It was nice to see some of my pre-hiatus reviewers leave some feedback even after all, I have to say, so I knew I wasn't completely forgotten. XD_

_That also reminds me, about when I mentioned that the climax was coming soon. It's approaching soon for Embers, not for the entirety of the story of Illusory Flame—that's way, WAY off in the future. Remember, Illusory Flame is gonna be a trilogy, so we still have two more volumes to go! Whoopeedoo. _

_On to other things! Mainly regarding my page-long author's note from last chapter. Because I'm a big, fat liar and an overworked writer, I've decided not to do that rewriting of the Cloud and co. section I was talking about! Not only do I just feel so pressed for time, especially now that I've started a new semester of college, but to be quite frank, I don't think you guys really care enough about Cloud and co. that it'll matter to you. I know you wanna see more of Kallie and Yazoo and Aurei and Loz anyway. :P_

**Illusory Flame: Embers**

**Chapter 21**

_Somewhere Out There_

"Then… that boy or that woman really wasn't lying after all." Seated in his wheelchair, Rufus was looking out through his bedroom window in Healin Lodge. "And that news report was right to say… they are truly still alive."

_Our worst nightmare, it seems, is still attempting to return._

Rather than uttering that latter thought aloud as well to Tseng, however, via the phone that was held to his ear, Rufus kept it to himself. Instead, he merely listened with calm, yet gripping intent while the Turk leader finished up his report on the day's happenings—involving, most primarily, the encounter within the Mythril Mines. Already, Rufus had been informed that, once the Turks had determined where the targets were, they had landed the helicopter in a discreet location before entering the mines and hiding themselves, laying in wait for their quarry that would inevitably pass through.

Yet, while they did eventually corner the very individuals they had been hunting, what unfolded had exceeded beyond anything any of them had been expecting. The boy's 'boss' had told them of 'unlikely aid' that the remnants would be receiving; she had reassured him that she would also lend them 'unexpected assistance' if they were to confront their adversaries. 'Unlikely' and 'unexpected' certainly had been a way to describe it all, and it had almost proven to be more than they could handle. Even now, the Turks were all bewildered by what had occurred only a mere hour ago.

"That much seems to be true, sir," Tseng solemnly agreed. "Had we not trusted what the woman told us, things would have certainly turned out differently. I, or anyone else of the Turks, most likely wouldn't be talking to you right now were it not for the… assistance that she provided us. At least, I'm _assuming_ it was she who summoned those serpents. While they seemingly acting of their own accord, they still appeared to be responding to someone else's orders."

"However she might have been assisting us, we are clearly in debt to her some way or another." Something else that Rufus was reluctant to reveal, though, was that he also felt gratitude towards the woman for having been able to protect the lives of his subordinates.

The Turk leader's voice then, however, grew even graver. "Regardless, I still can't bring myself to fully trust her yet; it would be unwise to at this point."

"Naturally. I would have expected that, helpful though she may be, she would still be under suspicion until you were able to find out more about her and that boy."

There was a short chuckle, and then it was back to business. "On that matter, have you heard anything more from that boy or his 'boss'?"

"Nothing." Although Rufus had re-watched the tape the boy had delivered again and again, just to ensure he hadn't missed any details, that definitely didn't count. "Judging by how that boy bailed out of here, I doubt he's going to return anytime soon, if at all."

"Too bad. We could certainly use a few more answers as to what the hell's going on. It seems like she would know exactly how the remnants would have been able to survive, or why they're allied with these women."

_Huh, the remnants having women as allies…_ It was hard for even Rufus to believe that he was thinking such a thing, for it was the last thing he would have ever expected of Sephiroth's puppets.

"Let us hope someone will tell us, in any case," he said. "Regardless of who that might be, however, I suppose only time can tell when we'll get an explanation of sorts. At this point, anyway."

"But, hopefully what investigations we can do will change that." Now, that familiar determination was evident on the other line, one that Rufus had always been able to rely upon to get the job done. "Especially if time is of the essence."

"Then, your next move is…?"

"Rude and Reno will be heading to Kalm to follow up on a possible lead regarding that woman I fought. Aurei Driessen, as Rude says she's called. As for myself and Elena, we'll be returning to Healin Lodge."

"Instead of pursuing the remnants?"

Tseng's voice hardened. "I need to get Elena someplace where she can have time to recover and heal her arm, and I know Healin will be the safest location for her."

Knowing of how close Tseng had become to his female comrade, and her own lingering, though still unspoken, sentiments for him, Rufus smiled, but did not question Tseng's decision. "It's the most hospitable place we have, that's for sure, but even then our adversaries have been able to infiltrate it."

"I… realize that." No matter what, though, Rufus knew Tseng wouldn't make such a decision unless he had confidence it would turn out for the better. "I can only hope that those serpents will be able to protect her there, and you as well, now that we know what this 'unexpected assistance' really is. It was risky enough leaving you there by yourself."

Rufus had to chuckle. "You're making me feel like a child without a babysitter. I hope you haven't forgotten I can still handle myself when left to my own devices. I survived two encounters with Kadaj, after all."

"Sir, you know he only let you live because he needed to find out about where you hid Jenova's head." Although Tseng remained respectful of his superior at all times, his tone was still admonishing. "Considering we have nothing to hold them at bay now, there's no telling what they might do. If anything, they've become more dangerous in their desperation, as that seemed to be the case when Yazoo threatened to kill Reno and nearly succeeded."

"But they're not heading towards Healin, are they? They _were_ attempting to get through the mines, after all, and it seems unlikely that they would want to backtrack at this point."

"Very true, sir." Now that Rufus had brought that up, Tseng did seem more at ease. "Still, with everything that has been unfolding thus far… it seems there's no telling what might happen to any of us now."

"Paranoia is such a wonderful feeling to have, isn't it?" In the high standing he had once possessed, even someone like Rufus hadn't been immune to a bought of heightened wariness every now and then. It automatically came with the job, and Tseng could concur with that.

"If that was the case in times like these, we would probably be the happiest people alive."

Both laughed lightly, albeit halfheartedly, before Tseng told him he had better be going, and would most likely be there in an hour or so if all went well, to which Rufus responded that he would be expecting them then. The lengthy call over, Rufus lowered the phone as he settled back in his wheelchair, continuing to gaze out the window before him at the forest beyond, dimly lit with the last of the fading sunset. As much as he had come to admire the beautiful scenery that Healin presented, his thoughts resided not here, but upon the events that had occurred in the Mythril Mines.

_What other strange twists of fate can you bring upon our lives, Planet?_

Lately, Rufus was starting to feel as if he had been caught in some divine form of tug-o-war. When one of the Planet's creations had nearly obliterated his life two years ago, partially crippling him even to this day and forcing him into a life of secret obscurity, he was sure it was punishment for his crimes against the Planet. Upon having contracted Geostigma several months prior, its daily pains adding to what injuries he had sustained from the Weapon's attack, it appeared doubly certain that his fate had been sealed.

And yet, in spite of his suspension in limbo, of only anticipating when the end of his days would be, something had begun to call to him. Whether the Planet itself had chosen to speak to him or it was merely his own instincts, it had been enough to break him out of the lifelessness that had once held sway over him and make him realize that, even if he would still die, there was yet something more he could do with what life he had left. There was yet the opportunity he had to clear his conscience, so that he wouldn't have to join the Lifestream as pathetically as his father had, and that opportunity lay in the chance to discover the true cause of Geostigma.

As irony would have it, though, it had been because of that curiosity chaos had been wreaked upon the world again, in having the Turks investigate the Northern Cave. Would going after the remains of Jenova, and then keeping its head in hiding, have changed anything in the long run? As heroic as his and the efforts of the Turks had been, had it really been the right thing to do? Despite his endeavors, Kadaj had been able to reclaim 'Mother' after all, and their worst nightmare had at last been resurrected. In the end, Cloud would be the one to again defeat Sephiroth and put a stop to the darkness he had created—at least, so everyone had thought.

_Now, of all the people the Planet could have chosen, am __**I**__ to be the one it has placed its faith in?_

That wasn't Rufus attempting to be egotistical about his role, though, as much as he probably would have been two years prior. Even if he hadn't heard the Planet itself speaking to him, or any other sort of direct communication, after Tseng had relayed those events he was convinced more than ever that the Planet was indeed calling upon him to do something about this rekindled crisis. It wasn't the first time the notion would have crossed his mind: the woman herself had told them she would ensure the Planet would be their ally in the battles to come.

Expectedly, those cryptic words had baffled them all, but more or less because none of them were able to accept the idea that they would actually be receiving aid from the Planet itself. Rufus in particular had decided to remain skeptical until he saw the evidence for himself that it was the truth. Was the Planet truly going to turn to him as a savior, despite the fact that his company had nearly choked the life from the world, frivolously expending its energy without a second thought? Furthermore, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to believe such a thing, out of fear of what the Planet truly might have in mind for him…

But, regardless of what they wanted the answer to be, Rufus well knew now, that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, those serpents were the clincher in this situation. They might have come and fight and gone without so much of a word as to what the hell they were, yet it couldn't be anymore obvious that they were the Planet's assistance the woman had spoken of. Everything Tseng had described of them seemed to indicate they were of some otherworldly power.

On top of all that, what was most apparent to him was their purpose as an antithesis, a creature that was a polar opposite to the Shadow Creepers the remnants were able to summon. That couldn't be a coincidence. They had to be a sort of defense mechanism for the Planet; that could be the only reason for their existence.

_But, that woman…_ Just what did _she_ have to do with the Planet? Was she among those who would claim themselves as the Planet's defenders, like Avalanche once had, but had a legitimate reason to say so? The fact that he simply could not determine their true intentions, however, whether or not they were some kind of divine entities, made him uneasy more than anything else.

_Perhaps, then, _thought Rufus with wan amusement, _this is how you'll choose to punish me, Planet. To keep me in such a haze of uncertainty._

While he chuckled aloud at the thought, it was not out of any desire to spite the Planet or spit in the face of fate. No… whatever the Planet had in mind for him, regardless of whether or not it had chosen him as a 'protector', Rufus well knew it was not his place to question it. Whatever his eventual fate would be, he would deserve it, for everything he had done to place the earth in such a sorry state. When his fate was decided, he would not resist; he would not ask for repentance, beg for forgiveness, or plead for mercy.

Maybe that steadfastness was merely because of his unwavering pride, for Rufus would not deny if there remained some selfish intentions in him. But, he did not deny that if he was given the chance to make amends and clean his slate, as that boy had said he could, even if only a little, then he wasn't about to idly let that opportunity slip by.

_And, maybe, this will be just be the beginning of it all…_ At the very least, that just might be true of his role in this battle for the Planet.

**

* * *

**

"_Three_ days! Three whole stinkin' days and we haven't seen one sign of those silver-haired baddies!"

"And you've only been here for two of those days," Tifa lightly admonished the energetic and impatient ninja girl, who was furiously pacing the ground just outside of a Cetran hut in which they were staying. At the moment, though, they were by themselves, as Cloud and Vincent were off elsewhere in the forest. "We're all tired of having to wait here, Yuffie, but there's still a possibility that the remnants will come here, and we'll have the upper hand if we can somehow ambush them."

Though Yuffie did stop her pacing, she still did flail her arms about in frustration once before planting them on her hips with a huff.

"Well, Chocobo Hair better know what he's doing," she muttered, kicking at a stone on the ground. "I've been itching at the chance to acquaintance those freaks with my shuriken for having taken all my materia, and some of the good ones too!"

_They're not all just your materia, Yuffie._

The thought was light-hearted, even making her smile a little as she was reminded of Yuffie's lingering obsession with materia, but Tifa was otherwise inwardly agreeing with her frustration on many levels. It was true: she, Cloud, Vincent, and now Yuffie had all been waiting here for some sign of the silver-haired men, and hadn't left the area of the Forgotten City since they had arrived roughly three days ago. The other half of their party, Cid, Barret, and Cait Sith, had likewise been staying at the Northern Crater with the airship for that amount of time as well, and for the same purpose.

Other than that one news report, of someone sighting the remnant in Edge, along with that mysterious girl, nothing else had apparently been turned up since that could possibly lend a clue to their whereabouts. If the remnants had somehow gotten wind that they had been detected, Reeve had postulated, then it was highly probable that they would be taking greater measures to go about unnoticed, and thus it would be even more difficult to locate him or the girl who was supposedly accompanying him.

While they could have been combing the countryside in search of the remnants, they had all agreed that it would be better to attempt to trap them in one of the two places that were the most important to them, which would be either the Forgotten City or the Northern Crater. Cloud in particular had strongly supported this plan, since the remnants had been able to lead unexpected ambushes in both locations. In the meantime, Reeve had also assured them that agents of W.R.O. would also be investigating both Edge and Midgar for further leads, and then possibly extend the search to such places as the Kalm area.

"Really, where else can they possibly go?" Yuffie continued to vent, vigorously throwing up her arms again. "It ain't as if they've got anyplace that'd be more important, right? This was supposed to be their base or something, like know-it-all Vince said, and then there's the Northern Crater where they were after bits of Jenova before the stupid Turks took them away. Ugh, it's so _gross_ that they'd be after something like that!" she concluded with a visible shudder.

"It doesn't add up, I'll agree on that." That growing inevitability made Tifa more uneasy every time she thought about it, and that was happening often in the few days that had passed. "There's really nowhere else that they'd want to visit, if you're trying to see things from their perspective, but maybe we're just not thinking of someplace that they would go. It just seems like… with their apparent survival, something we're not aware of got tossed into the mix, and that's what throwing us off."

"Gee, if _only_ we could figure out what it was!" replied the Wutaian girl sarcastically, beginning her pacing again. "Why _did_ those jerks have to come back from the dead? Everything was just fine and dandy all last week, thinking that there's nothing left to threaten the world, and then I get a call telling me that _they're_ still around and my help is needed and blah blah blah! There's so much I could be doing with my time right now, instead of waiting around to kick some stupid remnant's butt!" She sighed then, shaking her head slightly. "It's been painful enough being here for two days, and I can't even imagine what it must've been like for you guys, searching for one _whole_ day here and turning up nothing!"

Tifa had to chuckle then. "It has been pretty tedious, every minute of it. But, if it means finally being able to put an end to the chaos they've been wreaking, and making sure Sephiroth won't come back, I'm sure it'll be more than worth it."

"It'd better be, especially after all it took for me just to get here! _That_ was horrible enough." Her face seemed to turn a little green simply from having thought about her motion sickness. "Maybe it would be better just waiting here, as long as it means I don't need to get on some crummy airship again…"

Even the mere recollection of what it was like to get airsick was enough to subdue Yuffie, just about one of the only things that possibly could, and so she slumped to the ground, holding her knees to her chest. "Oh really, just when _are_ Cloud and Vince gonna get back from their watch? They didn't see anything there this morning, and I doubt they're gonna see anything tonight."

"Well, they should be coming back right about now. Cloud said he and Vincent would be back around sunset, given they haven't found anything."

The 'watch' Yuffie had been referring to was a part of the regime they had adopted during the three days they had been here, to ensure that they would be able to catch the remnants at every possible turn. Since it had become likely to them that the silver-haired duo might first arrive at the main part of the Forgotten City, rather than the temple-like building on the outskirts that had been their base, they had decided that perhaps it would be best to split up into pairs and wait at either respective location. If either pair saw anything, they would notify the other pair via text message.

Tifa had to remark, though, that she was surprised at how adamant Cloud had been about choosing to scout out the base, when he had been so reluctant to do so initially upon their arrival. Perhaps he was doing so to fully overcome that reluctance, or… he was merely watching and waiting for something else to happen there. Either way, she was just happy for him that he was no longer so affected by that place.

Another half hour or so passed, and still Cloud or Vincent hadn't return; by this time the sun had already set and the forest seemed to have come alive with its eerie white glow. When Tifa finally did see a sign of the others, appearing on the path amid the tree line, she was both startled and confused to see that it was only Vincent, alone yet walking calmly towards them. While Yuffie had promptly leapt to her feet, Tifa had already hastened towards him out of concern.

"Vincent! Is Cloud—?"

"Relax, Tifa. He's fine." It seemed as though Vincent had been preparing all along for her reaction at Cloud's absence. "He merely asked to be alone for a while there."

"Like he hasn't been alone enough already!" pouted Yuffie the moment she reached them, planting her fists on her hips. "_Honestly_, does he need to keep proving how macho he is, always handling everything all by himself? If he really doesn't need _me_, of all people, then I'd be just fine hauling ass back to Wutai!"

"So, why did he want to be alone? Did he say?" asked Tifa, in order to interrupt what might have been a long rant on Yuffie's part. "Does he really think he can take them on by himself, if they—?"

"Tifa, do you really think that they're still coming?"

The sudden question caught her off guard a little. "It's… It's still possible, isn't it? There's nowhere else that they would want to go other than either here or the Northern Cave, we're pretty sure of that."

"Are we, though?" He didn't give her much time to ponder the answer, because she already knew it. "Face it, we all know that, if the remnants were to come here, there would have been a confrontation of sorts by now."

"_What?_" Yuffie nearly shrieked. "You mean… we've been waiting _three_ days for those stupid remnants, and now they're not gonna be coming at all! I've just wasted three days of my life, three _precious_ days, and all for nothing!"

"And you've only been here two of those three days," Vincent quietly admonished her. Naturally, Vincent was the only one who didn't take well to Yuffie's energetic and often obnoxious presence. Though he never said anything, of course, he was probably wondering why he hadn't gone with Cid's group instead. "I doubt it would be entirely wasted, since now we can rule out the possibility of them returning to their base. But, the truth is that Cloud probably realized this after the first night we were here, when we didn't see any sign of the remnants."

"Cloud _knew_ that?" Shaking her head, infuriated, Yuffie smacked a fist into an open palm. "Oh boy, once he gets back, I'm gonna be sure to pound his head in!"

"Spare us the violence, Yuffie," muttered Vincent.

Barely restraining her next tirade, Yuffie still stomped the ground in frustration. "Then, why? Why's he been keeping us holed up here if he knew they weren't coming?"

"The answer is obvious. Isn't it, Tifa?"

It was, and that was why she had merely been standing there in silence since Vincent's question, her hands clasped behind her back as she stared off down the path, in the general direction of where Cloud still was. She did know why he was truly here, Vincent wasn't the only one who had come to realize that it wasn't necessarily the remnants they were waiting for here anymore. Perhaps she had deduced it later than he had, but it hadn't taken long for her suspicions to grow regardless.

"He's… really waiting for some sign of _her_, isn't he?"

"Her? Whaddya mean, her—?" And, just as quickly, Yuffie realized exactly whom they were referring to. Almost immediately, she piped down. "Oh… her…"

_Aerith…_ Cloud would never stop waiting for her.

"Yes, her." Even Vincent's voice softened out of respect for their former companion. "Perhaps he is a fool, to still think that she will appear to him somehow, but Cloud has his reasons to believe so regardless."

That instantly piqued Tifa's interest. "Wait… he _does_? Did he say something to you about it? Did he really say that's why he's still waiting here?"

"He did, but you didn't hear that from me." Vincent lowered his face more behind the collar of his cloak. "When he asked if I could leave him by himself at the base, it was then I asked him if there was another reason why he didn't want to leave the Forgotten City just yet. While he was reluctant to answer at first, I probed him more about the matter, and eventually he told me why.

"Apparently… she has been appearing in his dreams during the past couple of nights. Well, I shouldn't say appearing—Cloud said it was more like he could sense her presence and hear her voice, sometimes even while he's been conscious."

"He has been?"

"So he told me. In those moments when he can sense her, he says, he feels as though he's not supposed to leave just yet. There's something he's supposed to be waiting for."

"Waiting for?" Yuffie repeated, folding her arms. "What, waiting for those baddies?"

"You said it was unlikely, Vincent, but… could that really be the reason?"

"Who knows?" he answered wryly. "It is hard to ascertain whether or not these visions are real or Cloud is inducing them himself. All the same, however… if Aerith is involved, then they most likely have merit to them. After all, he said that, if he does get to see her again, perhaps she will be able to shed light on why these things are happening."

"That much is true…" Tifa agreed quietly. "We all know that, if it wasn't for all that she's done for us, none of us would probably be here now."

"Indeed. But, if Aerith were to show herself here, wouldn't she have done so earlier? Perhaps the first night we were here, even?"

"Maybe…" Yet, Tifa couldn't help but feel that, no matter the circumstances, it felt wrong to question Aerith's actions or decisions. It was certain that, even in death, she continued to be a protector of the planet; besides, it seemed that there were certainly many more things she was capable of now than when she was alive, and thus she would have her reasons for whatever she had to do, if only for the planet's sake.

"Well, I suppose that, once again, all we can do now is wait and see." Sighing, it was with a flourish of his crimson cloak that Vincent turned about, facing the direction of the hut that had become their temporary quarters. "Hence, I'm going to take a respite from all this waiting. Perhaps Cloud will have discovered something during that time."

"Ditto that, I'm coming too!" Abruptly turning on her heels, Yuffie followed right behind Vincent, probably much to his disgruntlement. But just as abruptly, she once again stopped to look back at Tifa, and saw that she was still staring off into the forest. "Hey, ain't you gonna come too, Tifa?"

Glancing back at Yuffie and Vincent, the latter also having halted, she didn't answer straightaway, instead turning her gaze back to the forest.

"He said he wished to be alone, Tifa," Vincent called to her. "I know of your concern for him, but perhaps this is for the greater good, if something is to finally happen."

"I know… But, I can't forget what happened to him the last time he was here, all by himself." For several moments longer, she continued to deliberate, still gazing into the forest, and then at last made up her mind. "I'm going, Yuffie and Vincent. Maybe I won't necessarily be with him, but I'll keep an eye on him from a distance… I just can't help but feel that something bad is going to happen to him if we let him out of our sight for even a second."

In a very rare occurrence, Vincent chuckled. "Isn't that usually the routine? If you must go, though, then I won't stop you. When I left him, by the way, he was standing near the pool, across from the base; he should still be there."

Tifa smiled back appreciatively. "Thanks, Vincent."

"Well, good luck to you, girl! You're gonna need it, dealing with that pain in the ass."

With a wave of her hand, Yuffie once again skipped after Vincent, starting to bombard him with questions and general chitchat that never ceased to fail to amuse Tifa. Not a moment later, though, she turned her attention back to the Sleeping Forest, beginning to walk down the trail that would lead her to where Cloud was waiting—waiting and watching for whatever he believed Aerith had in store for him.

_Aerith…_ Though she spoke in her thoughts, Tifa still hoped that the flower girl would be able to hear her- she would, surely. _You've always guided us down the right path from the very start. You've never led us astray. _

_So, please… if you are trying to tell us something, then please tell us what to do next… Help us understand why all of this has been happening._

**

* * *

**

It had taken a full day, and it was nearly sundown by the time they had reached their destination, but Loz and Aurei had finally arrived at Fort Condor. Being used to full days of almost non-stop hiking by now, with occasional monster encounters along the way, the journey had been tedious as always, but certainly not as much as yesterday. Aurei had also warned Loz beforehand that, with this being one of W.R.O.'s only military bases, there would certainly be armed guards scouting the area, especially at night. Even then, though, they found the patrols easy enough to evade if they made their way carefully through the rocky, sparsely vegetated landscape, treading quietly and keeping low to the ground; it became easier to navigate as well the closer they got to the fort.

In spite of all that, however, the more the night progressed, the more unsuccessful the day's endeavors felt to Loz. No matter how much effort they put into their search, they still hadn't been able to turn up anything, and he didn't know how much more of this he could take.

"They gotta be here…" Frustrated and furious, feeling the tears stinging his eyes, Loz pounding his fist against a nearby wall of rock, causing a nice large, new crack to suddenly run along its face. "They just gotta be here somewhere!"

"Loz!" Aurei immediately snapped in a hushed voice. "Keep it down! Remember, we're near a settlement now, and they have patrols in the area who could easily hear us!"

Already being so disheartened by the lack of success with their search around the Fort Condor area, Loz barely felt stung by Aurei's reprimand, dully watching as chunks fell from the rock wall. He didn't even flinch when some rocks bounced off his shoulder, clattering down the mountainside like a miniature avalanche. Surveying the damage that her silver-haired companion had created, Aurei rubbed her face with one hand, sighing deeply in her own aggravation.

"Loz… I'm just as frustrated as you are that we haven't seen any sign of Kallie or Yazoo here. I myself was sure that we would be able to encounter them somewhere around here, but perhaps we're both merely in the wrong places at the wrong times. Either way, it will be even more difficult to find them now that nightfall's here."

"But… But I can see just fine in the dark."

"You can. I can't, especially with all this cloud cover. I don't want to use any sort of illumination either, or else the patrols might see us. Look," she said suddenly, in an even softer voice so that it was barely a shout, pointing over at a small, moving light off in the distance, the indication that a guard was on the patrol. "There's someone over there right now… They might have heard us, so let's move away someplace else. Perhaps now we should take a look at the landing site for the airship."

Only nodding his assent, Loz quietly followed her without another word, glumly reflecting back on the rest of the day that had passed with little luck finding their respecting missing family members. He was so sure that they would have reunited by tonight, and even had his hopes up while they had been crossing the plains, keeping an eye out as far as he could see for the other two. Now that even Aurei was saying they ought to call it quits for the night, the whole day had felt like nothing but a failure.

"Loz…" she said after a while had passed in silence. "Just because we couldn't find them today means we'll never find them. At the very least, though I'm sure you won't like the sound of it, we have more of a chance of finding them in Junon. If for some reason they miss this airship ride, at least they know we're all heading to Junon."

"Aurei…" His voice was very much unchanged, as if he had never heard Aurei's assuaging statement. "Are you… are you sure something didn't happen to them back in the mines? Are you—?"

"How many times do I have to tell you today? I am _sure_ that they were able to make it out like we were. I told you, at the very least, it is certain that our paths will cross again."

Indeed, Aurei had reprimanded him many times throughout that day for having asked her again and again, sometimes on complete accident, and others because he had fully intended to. Thinking back on it now, Loz realized then why he had repeated such a redundant question over and over. Every time he heard it from Aurei's lips, he wanted to believe it would bring them one step closer to the truth. That, eventually she would realize something incredible and suddenly decide that was what they had to do in order to find his brother and her sister again—and soon. Sure, she said it was practically destiny that their paths would cross again, but that could take days, weeks, months… even _years!_

Probably sensing that she still hadn't quite convinced him, Aurei sighed again. "If you still don't believe me, have it your way. We're most likely not going to find them again tonight, and I'm not going to repeat myself again."

"I know," Loz answered finally. "It's just… me and Yazoo were separated for a while once, and I had no idea if he was alive or dead, or just barely alive… I just didn't know, and it… it was… so painful."

"I see."

With that, Aurei fell into silence again, and the journey again proceeded in taciturnity. Somehow, though, Loz didn't need her to tell him what was most likely going through her head right now: being so dedicated to her father's welfare, she must understand well the anxiety Loz had experienced during the first time he had been separated from Yazoo, and that he was certainly feeling all over again.

Loz had to wonder, though, if her calm attitude about the whole ordeal wasn't just because she was so reassured that they would reunite, but rather she really didn't care at all about Kallie… But no, she couldn't, could she? They were family, after all. Yazoo might not treat him nicely, but he was still a brother to him, that much Loz was sure of. He _would_ be just as adamant to reunite with him too, right? After all, Loz could visibly remember that battle against Brother, when all had seemed hopeless until Yazoo had come rushing into the fray, eyes alight with a resolve like Loz had never seen him wear before…

"What makes you care so much about Yazoo?" she suddenly asked, startling him from his reminiscence. "I've yet to see him treat you decently, and still you insist on sticking by his side no matter the circumstances."

That wasn't a hard question even for Loz to answer. "Yazoo's… all that I've got left. He and Kadaj were the only people I ever knew, and now that Kadaj's gone…"

Knowing he didn't have to finish his sentence, he merely let the implication hang there, his gaze lowering to the ground. Once again, Aurei was silent in response, but undeniably out of respect more than anything else.

"Loz, I must say that… you have certainly surpassed my expectations of you."

His head snapped back up to gaze at her, nonplussed. Aurei had expectations of him? "I have…?"

"That's right. Of all the people I would have expected to understand the importance of such values, I… would have never imagined it to be you."

"Values…?"

"Being as committed to your family as you are. In this world, there exist so many people who have such wonderful families, families that are whole, and yet they don't appreciate how fortunate they are until it is too late. I cannot say I would reserve any sympathy for those people, after all my family has been through, being as divided and scattered as we are. Only having had my father around has made me realize just how fortunate I am to have had even only one member to care for me, and whatever is in my power to protect that, I will use it."

She stopped then, looking back at him with the utmost earnest in her eyes. "So, whatever happens, Loz, don't ever forget the ties you have to your family. No matter what anyone tells you, being able to take nothing for granted is one of the greatest gifts you could ever have."

**

* * *

**

"_Still_ no sign of them, huh?" muttered the orange-haired girl, surveying the landscape as best she could from the ledge she and Yazoo stood upon, high up on the mountainside of Fort Condor. "You'd think that, if we're both heading in the same general direction, we'd be bound to run into each other sooner or later."

"I agree. We should have come across them by now."

While they were strangely able to agree upon several different subjects throughout the day, if there was one thing Yazoo would have been able to concur with her at any given time, it was sharing in her frustration that they had seen nothing of either Aurei or Loz. Like the others, unbeknownst to them, they were having just as little success as they were. Yazoo, too, was thinking that they were also in the wrong places at the wrong times, and that at the very least they would encounter them somewhere in Junon. When he had presented this idea to the girl, she had proceeded to ask him if that really meant he would aid her in retrieving May, should she also be in Junon.

"…If we still cannot find the others," he answered, after a moment, "then, yes. I suppose it will be necessary."

"Well, _that's_ a relief to hear," she responded, expectedly sounding surprised that he had actually agreed to help. Yazoo was also glad that her reply hadn't been a snide or sarcastic one either. "And hey, even though you seem to have it perfectly under control, I can help you find your mother too."

Yazoo didn't quite respond at first. After having revealed so much to her about Mother earlier today, he again had been wondering if it had been so wise of him to do so. Would Mother eventually want to meet the sisters herself, possibly even the illegitimate half-brother? He hadn't received any sort of vision or a warning from her either, telling him that he shouldn't have disclosed so much information about her…

As several moments had passed and he still hadn't answered, the girl spoke up again. "Well, I guess it isn't necessary, or you just don't want me to… Either way, I understand. Guys I've known didn't usually want me meeting their moms either."

At that, Yazoo at last turned to her, but only to give her a strange look. What relevance did the latter statement have to anything? Just because he was male, he would be reluctant to have Kallie meet Mother? The strange logic some humans had, especially from this one, as he was discovering.

Furthermore, Yazoo was starting to sense something didn't feel quite right with this picture in general, a feeling he had been gradually realizing up to now… Not only they had been able to see eye to eye on things lately, all day they hadn't had a true argument as had become typical of them during the journey. There was the dispute that had occurred this morning, or the small spat after lunch, but those certainly paled in comparison to the argument that had occurred last night. Even then, they had reached an unspoken truce of sorts. It certainly was an odd feeling, that the girl hadn't been irritating him so much today…

"What?" the girl responded, after seeing the strange look he was giving her. "So, that's _not_ the case? Well, I guess I stand corrected, but you don't have to tell me why. I've discovered it's hopeless getting answers out of you when you don't want to give them."

He actually chuckled a little at that. The girl might be insolent, but was at least observant. "I am merely unsure if your help will be required or not. It will depend on the circumstances once we reach Junon."

"You mean whether or not Aurei or Loz will actually be there with us. It's gonna be a big inconvenience for us all, huh?" Sighing then, the girl slumped back against the rock wall behind them. "Just where the hell are those guys? If only I'd get another one of those visions, that'd be handy. For some reason, 'cuz I'm not, I'm getting the feeling they're _somewhere_ nearby. I also wonder how close Raide is to Junon, if he's really heading out there after all."

She then groaned. "Oh, screw it. There's obviously nothing more we can do for now, and I'm seriously doubting we're gonna find them at all tonight. If they're trying to stay undetected as much as we are here, with all these patrols around, then there's really no chance of us running into them."

"For once, you're a voice of reason."

The girl laughed, although softly as to not attract attention. "I know, for _once_, right? Maybe I'll actually turn out to be like my sister after all." Then, for the first time, as she looked back towards Yazoo, she was smiling, even slightly grinning, at him. "What do you say we find out where that airship is supposed to land tomorrow morning, then find someplace to camp for the night?"

Though Yazoo did see the smile as being one of the strangely amiable things that had occurred between them today, he did not regard its significance beyond that. "Let's go, then."

**

* * *

**

When she had told Loz that he had exceeded her expectations, Aurei had not been lying. She herself could not believe that it hadn't been a lie, for this wouldn't have been the first time Aurei had lied about something of this nature. If the circumstances called for it, she would not hesitate to lie about anything. But, somehow, when it came to Loz—_Loz_, of all people, she could not bring herself to lie to him.

_It's not because I don't trust him…_ After all, ever since she had begun her training so many years ago, her mentor had told her to be expecting an ally like him, an ally to aid both her and Kallie in the battles that were to come. But, she had expected him to be a mere comrade, nothing more; Aurei hadn't ever believed he would become a close companion, someone who she actually could share such dark and deep secrets with. Telling him about the importance of family values and taking nothing for granted wasn't something she exactly preached to just anybody either.

"Hey, is this the place?"

Having been so deeply lost in thought about these startling revelations, it was perhaps a good thing that Loz had spoken up, or else even she might not have realized that, after much more hiking and climbing the rough terrain, they had finally come to their destination.

"I believe so," Aurei confirmed, examining the huge, wide open area before them. Though the area was brightly lit by floodlights at each corner of the perimeter, she was certain that, as long as they stuck to the shadows amid the rocks and vegetation, they would go undetected. "This does look like the ideal place to land a giant airship."

"All we gotta do now is sit and wait here 'til it comes, right?"

"No, Loz." For once, though, her voice was lighthearted rather than admonishing. "We would be too easily found by the guards who patrol the place; it's risking enough just being here right now. Let's find someplace else to rest for the night, since the airship most likely won't arrive until sometime in the morning."

"And I'll be sure to get you up tomorrow morning too. Really, I will."

That took Aurei off guard a little indeed, but she was quite appreciative nonetheless. "Thank you, I will appreciate that."

After a little more surveying of the landing site, the two turned and began to head back the way they came to get here. Notably, Loz lingered behind for a little while, still continuing to examine the place before following in her wake. The entire time, even though Aurei had told him to give up the search for the night, he still persevered in his own quiet way, constantly looking about in all directions for any signs of their missing siblings. With those feline eyes, it was probably an effortless task for him. Again, Aurei did have to remark to herself upon his utter devotion to finding the others, for he was even more eager and anxious than she was, and that was just something else that she hadn't expected about him.

_Nothing is what I expected about him._ The only thing about him that had met her expectations was his general inhuman physicality, his overall unnatural appearance, and especially his incredible strength. That had been it. When Aurei had confronted him for the very first time, in thwarting both him and his brother from abandoning Kallie, she had been glad to fight someone of his caliber, someone who had given her a true challenge on the field of battle.

From there on, though, everything else about him had been a surprise, and especially a great disappointment. While she had already garnered from their skirmish that Loz didn't exactly possess the highest level of intelligence, she had been baffled at just how truly childlike his mentality was, despite how so thoroughly masculine he was in appearance. After having been waiting for so long to see what this destined ally of hers would be like, Aurei admitted that she had felt gypped.

At least Yazoo had met her expectations, harboring a cold and calculating persona to rival her own, much more like the inhuman being she had imagined she would meet. Then again, perhaps such a childish mentality was what made Loz so inhuman after all—it, too, was certainly something unnatural. Just not in the way she would have expected.

While Aurei was quite certain that many startling and shocking things had overwhelmed her sister all throughout this journey, she well knew it was because of the simple fact that this was all so novel to her. But here, for most of her life, Aurei had been training and taxing herself to the limit for this adventure, and even she was beginning to feel all that preparation still hadn't been enough. Nothing had prepared her for the fact that, for what felt like the first time in ages, Aurei had begun to feel a true attachment to someone other than Father, and it didn't happen to be Kallie.

_It's been so long, but, for once…_ Aurei eyed Loz once again, who she knew remained unaware of her newfound revelation, if he would ever be aware at all. _I have a companion to call my own._

**

* * *

**

_I smiled at him. I actually __**smiled**__ at him._

Not only that, but Kallie had bantered with him, even _flirted_. Maybe it was merely because she was tired, whipped from having spent another full day of walking and fighting, and she was certainly willing to blame it all on that. But, even then, it still had all felt so natural, and that alone freaked her out a little, for Kallie knew it meant she had actually felt comfortable in his presence. It wasn't just having gotten used to being around him; that had probably happened a while back, ever since she had resigned to allying herself with him. No, this was a different sort of comfort… good-natured, amiable, even benevolent.

_Who thought I'd actually be feeling that around __**him**__, of all people?_ she wondered, looking over at what she could see of his profile.

Currently, her arms were folded behind her head as she lay upon a hard rock floor, just like last night, only tonight they had managed to find refuge in a shallow cave of sorts, with a rather low-lying ceiling which was short enough that they weren't able to stand upright inside. Seated at the entrance, his gun resting at his side, Yazoo was keeping a watch on the surroundings, as was usually his job whenever she or Aurei had to retire; he wouldn't need sleep tonight, he had assured her of that.

After they had taken a look at what they presumed was the landing site for the airship, it was well past nightfall by the time they had discovered this cave and decided to make camp here for the night, someplace discreet where the fort's patrols wouldn't be likely to find them. Not only would Yazoo be keeping an eye out for the patrols, though, but also making sure that they wouldn't be missing their potential flight in the morning.

"And you'll be all right, pulling an all-nighter?" It was an extremely dumb question, Kallie knew, for she had been able to see that he could stay up all night with little difficulty. Either it was another side effect from her fatigue, or it was just one of many suspicions she had about his unnatural capabilities that she needed to confirm…

Expectedly, Yazoo gave her nothing short of a disdainful look. "If you haven't observed already, Loz and I do not require the amount of sleep that ordinary humans need. Only a few hours of rest every few days will suffice."

"Lucky you."

Kallie truly did wish she had that same sort of capability, though. If only it weren't for her fatigue, she would have been willing to search all night for Aurei and Loz. Hell, if it hadn't been for her fatigue, she would have continued to scour the streets of Edge until the early hours of the morning, that one fateful night when May had first vanished… Even if she knew now where May had been taken then, Kallie still wouldn't have felt so helpless about her situation, if only she had known she would be able to do something more.

"Well, since _I'm_ still just an ordinary human, I'm gonna be getting some sleep now." Rolling over on one side so she faced the wall behind her, Kallie put her head down upon the pack that had become her usual pillow, then suddenly looked back over her shoulder at him. "Oh, and no using guns as an alarm clock tomorrow morning. Got that?"

"As long as you actually wake up."

"Don't worry, I will." Snickering, Kallie put her head back down and closed her eyes. "All right, g' night now."

She heard him give a slight scoff, but other than shifting his position a little, he did not respond further. It was just as well, since Kallie really did want to get some sleep. That, and she was in the mood for something other than conversation, something that she had automatically been finding herself doing the past couple of nights before she would fall asleep. As a matter of fact, Kallie had purposely turned towards the rock wall in order to fight the temptation, but rock walls were only such a comforting sight. Eventually, she would find herself restless enough anyway that she rolled back over again to face Yazoo's general direction again.

Sadly, with the absence of a moon or any other illumination, Kallie could not perceive him as clearly as she had previous nights, but maybe that was for the better. Also, at least Yazoo having his back to her hopefully meant he wouldn't be able to catch on to her gazing his way, because Kallie was quite certain she didn't want him to take any notice of these growing feelings she was beginning to harbor for him. While she doubted he would care whether or not he knew what they meant, she was still aware it was best he remained as oblivious as possible to her sentiments.

_But, the fact that he's not being such a jerk anymore isn't really gonna be helping much here…_

Kallie stifled a groan into her pack. To be traveling alone with such company, she was just the luckiest girl in the world, wasn't she? A silver-haired, superhuman criminal freak with creepy feline eyes he might be, but he was still a handsome individual nonetheless; she might have added things like 'moron' and 'asshole' to the list, but for once, she couldn't bring herself to because they had actually gotten on well today. Then, because of _that_, just thinking about how nicely he had treated her made her feel that certain thrill again, and she had to muffle another groan into her makeshift pillow.

It was so juvenile, so _stupidly_ juvenile. Here she was, a girl in her late teens going on twenty in a matter of weeks, and she was having a silly crush on some guy, which Kallie knew hadn't happened since her school years. Still, as ridiculous as she knew her infatuation was, perhaps calling it a mere 'crush' was a bit inappropriate. Especially since Yazoo was unlike any male she had ever had feelings for, this infatuation was rather different. It wasn't even that those feelings were stronger, they just felt… darker, if she had to describe it somehow. 'Darkness' was simply a suitable word for him anyway.

On one hand, she was repulsed by him, repulsed by what hatred she still harbored towards him, repulsed by his character and the unnatural abomination she knew he was. Yet, at the same time, Kallie found herself utterly drawn to him, all at once enraptured by his uncanny beauty and fascinated by the sheer enigma that surrounded him. It was a push and pull, a tug-of-war, and damn, it was never a good thing to be caught in the middle.

_Of all people I could have been allied with, why did it have to be __**you**__, Yazoo?_ In hindsight, it seemed like she could have discovered so much on her own, and yet Kallie still felt the results wouldn't have been the same if she hadn't enlisted the brothers' assistance. Would things really have been different had she never met Yazoo or Loz? Would she ever have come as far as she had were it not for them?

Furthermore… what would _May_, of all people, think of her having befriended the very men who had once kidnapped her? Hell, what would her cousin think if it really did turn out that they had helped rescue her? The possibilities of what May's reaction would be pulled at Kallie's heartstrings—the poor child had been through enough trauma already, and it made her seethe to imagine just what else that bastard could be doing to her right now!

_How the hell am I gonna explain all of this to her anyway?_ Kallie did have a suspicion, though, that Raide might have told May at least some of what was going on, especially concerning the fact that she was related to that bastard, or that she actually had another cousin. Nonetheless… Kallie wish she wouldn't have to put up with all this shit, let alone ever having gotten dragged into this mess.

For one so young, the poor girl had already been through so much in her life, and Kallie was at least grateful for the resilience that her cousin had inherited from Uncle—otherwise, she couldn't stand the thought of how scarred May would be for the rest of her life. It already broke Kallie's heart so deeply to know that, whatever the outcome of this battle was, her cousin would more than likely have a life that was far from ordinary anyway.

_None of us will get a normal life after this, that's for sure. But if there's one person I know who doesn't deserve it, it's you, May._

Weary though Kallie's body was, and as much as it cried for rest, the thoughts of her cousin, of Raide, of Uncle, of Yazoo, kept her mind wide awake and fitful as they bounced from one person to the next. More than once, she rolled over, attempting to find a comfortable enough place upon the rock, but only having had to sleep twice in the great outdoors was barely enough for her to get used to such bedding. But, eventually, it wasn't long before she gave in to temptation and resorted to what had helped her fall asleep the past two nights, rolling back over to once again gaze at Yazoo.

The entire time she had been tossing and turning, the silver-haired man had barely moved an inch, save for slight rolls of his head and shifts in his position; staying so still hardly seemed to bother him either. Especially with only needing to sleep every couple of nights or so, it really did seem more and more like Yazoo had been born for this sort of thing, whatever the hell he really was… Like his entire existence would only be situated around endless journeys and grueling battles.

_Y'know what…?_ Kallie suddenly came to realize, staring at one of her ungloved hands. _Maybe it is better that I still do need my eight hours of sleep every night… It's a sign that I'm at least somewhat human after all._

**

* * *

**

_And there you have it! I know, it's another chapter of nothing really happening to them, just reacting and thinking and traveling and whatnot. I have to say, if I had been the one to create the world of Final Fantasy VII and had the ability to shape the geography according to my story, I would have made it so Junon wasn't so damn far away from the Mythril Mines! But alas, I'm not going to bend the canon so drastically because I'm a good fanfiction author, so Junon shall have to remain miles and miles away…_

_Well, I don't wanna end this on a negative note, so let's talk more positive things! Rather, more interesting topics, like how it was to write the section from Rufus's point of view. Actually, just when I had finished writing that part, I heard that the On The Way to a Smile: Case of Shinra had just been released, so I went to read it. It basically talks about what Rufus and the Turks were doing in the two years before Advent, and it was a pretty interesting read, I have to say, probably the most engaging of all the Cases of the characters that have been released. As usual, though, since it's such a recent addition to the Final Fantasy VII canon, I'm not going to let it affect my desire to be as canonically accurate as possible._

_Also, because I knew not much would be happening otherwise, I decided to make things a little more interesting by bringing a new character, Yuffie, into the fray, as well as finally having something from Aurei's point of view, since we never get to see her true perspective on events and such in the story. Also, I do hope Yuffie's not too out of character… We all know she's a hyperactive ninja, but I tried not to overdo it, since I'm not too good at writing energetic characters like her._

_I think that's it for now. As usual, your feedback is appreciated, and you shall see me again sometime next month!_


	22. Flight

_Hey guys, guess what? STUFF HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER._ _After the lack of happenings in the last update, it was sure refreshing to write this chapter. You'll see why. ^_^_

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 22**

_The Flight_

It was a nudge that wrote Kallie the next morning. It was a bit of a rougher nudge than she would have preferred, a hard prod in the ribs, but it was a nudge nonetheless, accompanied by a soft voice's demands for her to get up.

"Good morning," she mumbled through a yawn, stretching out as she realized that Yazoo had been prodding her in the ribs with his foot. Still not exactly the most appropriate method, but certainly better than a gun blast, anyway. "Now _that's_ more like it. See, waking me up isn't so hard after all, huh?"

"Although, it still took nearly a minute before you would respond."

"Aw, c'mon, I'm sure you're exaggerating." _Maybe it would've worked better if you had shaken me awake too or something. _Kallie knew he would never let himself drop to that level, though, for she had noticed he rarely touched other beings with his own hands, even during battle. Still, it made her wonder if he would be capable of such a thing someday, let alone be there to actually witness it. Maybe even be the one to experience it.

But she quickly snapped herself out of that line of thought. What the hell was she thinking? It was too early in the morning to be having any coherent ideas, particularly if her unwanted sentiments for Yazoo were involved…

"No, I tend to tell it like it is," he retorted, gesturing over his shoulder at the dawning sky outside of the small cave. "Such as the fact that it's time to go. I believe our transport has arrived."

Moments before he had told her that, however, Kallie had already come to realize that herself, even in her presently groggy state. The sounds were still far off in the distance, but close enough for her ears to discern what they were: the whirring of numerous propellers and the roar of a massive machine, like several helicopters merged into one entity. Something huge was flying towards Fort Condor, something possibly larger than anything else that inhabited the sky.

As much as Kallie would have been awestruck by the incredible sight of an airship in operation, instead, she felt her stomach turn over uncomfortably, for she knew what their flight's arrival really meant.

"You heard me, girl." Standing on the ledge just outside the cave's entrance, Yazoo stared at her sternly, as if sensing the disquiet that was already plaguing her mind. "The airship is here, and we'd best get to the landing platform as soon as we can."

"All right, I'm going, I'm going," said Kallie under her breath, her head nearly bumping the low ceiling as she jumped to her feet, grabbing the bag off the rocky floor. Even as she followed Yazoo out of their refuge, though, she couldn't help but feel that it really was too early in the morning for something like this. She had just woken up, and already she had lost her appetite out of anxiety.

_Finally… We're finally gonna be on our way._ They were finally on their way to Junon, the destination that their journey was all going to come down to.

And Kallie was still unsure if she was ready for all of this.

* * *

While Loz had been able to hear the airship approaching as well, he had been able to wake Aurei with much more ease than Yazoo had had with Kallie. Even before she had fully come to her senses, she too could hear the sound of propellers growing closer, and was prepped to go almost at once. Rather than a cave that the others had taken refuge in last night, Aurei and Loz had found a thicket that, while it wouldn't have protected them as well from the elements, it was provided just as much cover. The thicket also happened to be much closer to the landing site, and thus they were able to reach the area in only a couple of minutes.

As it was still quite early in the morning, and the sun had yet to rise high enough above the horizon, the lights that brightly illuminated the landing site were still lit. Thus, with even less darkness to use as a cover and even more people around than last night, the two had to proceed with even more caution. Both barely said a word to each other, attempting to sneak along in as much silence as possible. In the end, though, they barely had any more trouble going undetected than last time, and found the same place as before to sit and wait for the airship to arrive.

Although they could still hear the airship coming closer and closer, it nonetheless took several minutes before it got close enough that they could finally see it. When it did get close enough that Loz could mostly discern the craft's design, he did a slight double take out of recognition—it looked exactly like the airship that had come to Brother's aid during that final confrontation, more than a week ago. Loz remembered, he had last seen it moments before Yazoo had shot Brother, with that blow that should have ended his life then… All their lives should have ended in the moment that followed…

The sight made him antsy. This wasn't the same vehicle, as he had seen that time, right? Were Brother's companions aboard this ship as well?

"Aurei, you said there were more than one of these, didn't you?" he asked in as low a voice as he could, to which she merely nodding without further remark. Even though it was unlikely that anyone would be able to hear them, especially when he had been speaking so quietly, Aurei still probably didn't want to risk it. They most likely wouldn't have been able to hear each other anyway, given the fact that the sounds of the approaching airship were getting louder and louder, and there was much more commotion in preparation of its landing.

The closer the ship got, the more Loz could start appreciating just what a modern marvel it was, even if it was something that humans had built and were utilizing. Even if he didn't have much experience to go by in the short amount of time he had been alive, Loz still didn't think it would have ever been possible to see such a massive piece of technology, let alone pay witness to one in action. Particularly once it was struck by the first rays of the rising sun, brightly reflecting off its many shiny and smooth surfaces, the airship truly became a wonder to behold.

Being as awestruck as he was by the sight, Loz glanced over at Aurei, wanting to see if she was just as fascinated, but his own enthusiasm dropped a little at perceiving her expression was the same as ever. Always so intent, always so stoic, she only watched the nearing airship and perceived it solely as a primary objective in their mission, nothing more. He suddenly found himself wishing she wouldn't look at it like that; he wished she could also see the wonder that he saw in the airship's appearance. Was it not right that he saw the airship as being such a wondrous thing to look at?

_Maybe it isn't_… It was never a good thing to be sidetracked by anything, he knew, especially when he knew what their true objective was once the airship landed. Still, he wished that Aurei wouldn't take everything so seriously, as she always. As ever, Loz could never fully understand why he wished that, but he simply did.

* * *

All the while, Aurei and Loz remained completely unaware that the very people they hoped to reunite with were in the vicinity; perhaps only a few minutes later, Kallie and Yazoo once they too reached the landing site. They too crept along in silence, taking painstaking measures to ensure that the slightest bump of a rock or the scuffing of their feet wouldn't alert the guards in the area as they found a spot to hide. Although sneaking along furtively was never an issue for Yazoo, he was surprised that the girl was doing so well, barely making a sound herself. It just might be because she was following his lead, after all.

In any case, he was glad he didn't have anything to be complaining about, at least not regarding the girl, for once. Rather, the only problem Yazoo was thinking of now was one that had been plaguing him ever since Aurei had told him their method of transport would be infiltrating an airship, and that was just how they were exactly going to do so. All of yesterday and all of last night that one issue had bothered him, all that time he had wracked his brain, attempting to figure out a solution, and had still come up blank.

The main issue that Yazoo could perceive was that they would be attempting to figure out a hiding spot in which they had to conceal themselves for however long it took to reach Junon, aboard an aircraft he had no idea what the layout of was, all the while doing their best to ensure that they weren't noticed by any of the personnel aboard. Everything Yazoo could think of was working against them here, and the more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that everything was going to have to rely on risks.

That alone made him wish more than anything to find Aurei again, for he had a feeling she might have a real plan mapped out. If there was one thing that Yazoo knew he hated, it would be playing it by ear, especially when so much was on the line. In hindsight, it almost seemed as if simply having traveled all the way to Junon on foot would have been preferable, as long as it didn't mean risking the possibility of being caught.

Then again, time was of the utmost essence here, wasn't it? Even if he wasn't helping the girl to rescue her cousin, Yazoo would have wanted to reach Junon as quickly as he possibly could, if Mother was truly waiting there for him…

The closer the airship came, the more Yazoo's anticipation grew. At last, after what seemed like countless minutes, the airborne vehicle hovered briefly above the landing site before beginning its descent. Both Kallie and Yazoo then had to shield themselves from the incredible wind that picked up, blowing dust and debris everywhere, and which didn't let up until the airship at last touched to the ground, its propellers slowly coming to a stop as the engine died down.

Irritably fixing his hair, wondering how much more windblown hair he was going to have to deal with, he glanced over at the girl and somehow wasn't surprised to see that she was having second thoughts. As much as she tried to conceal her apprehension, it was all too apparent that she was faltering in the face of their upcoming objective: her unusually pale face and the evident shuddering of her body gave it all away. Especially once she held a hand to her face in clear agitation, heaving a breath in and out, it was all too clear that she did not want to do this. Strangely enough, Yazoo found he was more disappointed in the girl than furious at her indecision.

"Pull yourself together," he muttered to her, not daring to raise his voice, for there were a couple of guards stationed several yards away. "This is no time to be a coward."

"It's never a good time to be a coward," she muttered back, brushing the hand through her bangs before clenching it into a fist against the boulder, her gaze fixated intently on the hustle and bustle taking place now that the airship had landed, perhaps only a hundred feet away from them.

Before the propellers had even fully come to a stop, a ramp was already lowering itself down to the ground, and a few W.R.O. personnel came striding out of the airship. A minute later, a single file line of trucks came down a dirt road carved from the hillside, each with a full load of cargo obviously intended to be carted onto the airship. In twos, the vehicles would come to a stop near the airship, allowing various workmen, carts, forklifts to come and carry the load away, then each truck would leave via another road back up the hillside.

For what felt another countless number of minutes, maybe even an hour, they watched the trucks come and come in a neverending stream, and after a while it almost seemed like a perfectly unbroken pattern it was drawn out so long. Yazoo wouldn't be surprised if this would take all morning, and it certainly appeared to, judging by the rising height of the sun in the sky. But, the more time that went by, the more pressed Yazoo felt to make a move, and still he felt stumped about exactly how to infiltrate the airship—the girl seemed to sense his frustration.

"You can't see how we can get inside either, can you?" the girl asked after a while had passed, appearing to have calmed down a little.

Not wanting to admit the fact that he indeed had absolutely no idea, Yazoo remained silent. Even after having analyzed the scene the entire time they had been waiting here, watching people and vehicles come and go, he still hadn't been able to think of anything. By now, it was plaintively clear to him that the only possible way in or out of the airship was that ramp, and with personnel constantly milling about, barely even a second was left open for them to sneak aboard undetected.

_If this keeps up, at this point we may as well forgo the airship altogether._

Yazoo hated to even believe that there might be that possibility, but more and more he was inclined to think that they would soon be left with no other option. In fact, now that he was thinking of what else they could do to hasten the last leg of their journey, he could certainly see that it would be much more easier and less riskier to steal a truck for transport. It would definitely take much longer, probably another day or two, or even three days, whereas they would most likely arrive in half a day via the airship. But if they were caught in their attempts to board the airship, then there was no telling what might happen to them, if they would be able to reach Junon at all.

Decisions, decisions.

When it finally seemed that, after what was probably two hours or more, the last of the cargo was being loaded and it wouldn't be long before the airship took off, Yazoo still hadn't been able to see how infiltration would be possible—but at least they had a Plan B now. Upon communicating their alternative to the girl, however, he was slightly taken aback that she wasn't so willing to comply. Then again, she was a hopeless optimist.

"Who knows what'll happen if we arrive in Junon a few days from now?" she retorted, but not angrily. She clearly was also thinking of their precious time that they had such a shortage of. "Given how far ahead he is already, Raide might have even more of a head start now, and then catching up to him, let alone finding him, would be impossible."

"But, it is _still_ far too risky," Yazoo reiterated. "If we are caught, then there's no telling if we'll get to Junon at all."

The girl sighed, but said nothing, still watching the scene as if hoping that one chance could spring up any second now. Yazoo wished it would as well, yet was sensible enough to know that fortune wasn't always so kind.

"Let's go, girl," he said to her in a snappish undertone. "We might as well try our luck at stealing a vehicle while the fort's personnel are distracted here."

Even then, as he began to creep away from the boulder, the girl remained exactly where she was, although once again appeared to be stressing out. Once again, she wiped her forehead with the back of her jacket's sleeve, prior to giving a deep sigh.

"Actually… there still might be a possibility. This is probably proof that I really am insane, but all the same, this might actually work."

Yazoo simply stared at her, unbelievingly, before giving a slight growl of frustration. "Don't try anything you know is going to be foolish. If you don't think—"

"You wanna get to Junon today or not? Personally, I kinda think it's worth the risk." The girl then looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes filled with a strange, earnest sincerity. "Please, trust me on this."

_Trust… her…_

_**They need your help as much you need theirs.**_

Almost as clearly as he had heard her utter in that vision, Mother's words came drifting back to him, as they seemed to every time he placed doubt in either the girl or her sister. This time, though, it didn't take much deliberation before he gave in, and merely nodded his assent. Mother had told him and Loz to place their trust in these sisters for a reason, there was no denying that any longer. If the girl actually had an idea that she believed would work… it was possible that it just might.

With a fleeting smile of appreciation at him, she turned back towards the scene, although it was still a few moments before she would execute her plan. Her head was bowed, as if in meditation or prayer, and Yazoo thought her lips mouthed words that even his sensitive ears couldn't pick up. Lifting her head once again, she hesitated a little more, then raised a hand slightly above the rock in front of them, gazing intently at one of the spotlight fixtures on the opposite side of the site.

* * *

If Yazoo had been hoping that Aurei knew a way to sneak onto the airship, then he would have been surprisingly mistaken. True, both Aurei and her father had determined that the airship would be the best mode of transportation in order to get to Junon more quickly; they had spent weeks researching into the airships, figuring out the flight schedules and the locations they would be traveling to, and other relevant information that might be useful to know. Yet, the one thing neither had been able to find was some sort of blueprint of the airship, or anything that could inform her where they could possibly hide as stowaways, let alone how to get aboard undetected.

"No matter how hard we looked," said Aurei, her expression troubled. "We couldn't find _anything_, and we doubted we would anyway. If blueprints of the ships do exist, then they're most likely somewhere in Rocket Town, where all the airships are constructed."

"But, there's _still_ a chance we can find a way in, right?" Loz asked, with all hopefulness, yet upon seeing her features only harden, he knew better than to have asked.

"A chance, yes, but an extremely slim one. It would be probably one in a million, especially at this point. My father and I were both hoping that, once our group arrived here, we found be able to discover a loophole somewhere and find a way in, but… I was obviously far too optimistic. There's no chance we can get past all these people without being seen." Sighing, she closed her eyes, resting a fist on her forehead. "This wasn't such a great idea, I knew we shouldn't have done this…"

That had been half an hour ago, but they still resided in their hiding spot. Having come this far, Aurei wasn't about to give up until the airship flew off, and they would be forced to find an alternative. Like Yazoo, Aurei had come to realize that they could steal some vehicle from here so they wouldn't be forced to go on foot (albeit, she had figured this out for a while now), and so coming to Fort Condor wouldn't have been a complete waste of time.

The reason why she hadn't communicated this idea to Loz yet, however, was that she had come to foresee they might have a dilemma on their hands regardless. Even if they were able to steal a truck or a van and get away with it, it was doubtful they could do so without going undetected. No matter how careful they might possibly be, someone would still realize that a vehicle had been taken, and if they especially found out one of the silver-haired men was involved, then they would most likely have the entire reserve of W.R.O. volunteers on their tail…

For once, Aurei had never lacked so much confidence in a plan of hers. There was little chance that this could work, she had known that from the start, and yet she had still naïvely poured all of her faith into it. While the thought of having to traverse the rest of the distance by foot made even her feel exhausted, it was still better than being caught and overwhelmed by the consequences of her blunder. Still, they couldn't afford to lose any more time in reaching Junon, not if she wished to at last confront her half-brother.

_What can we do?_ She struggled not to alert Loz of her inner stress, fighting the urge to ball her hand into a fist. Not even the voice she looked to for guidance would be able to assist her here. _What the hell can we possibly do?_

The next thing anyone in that proximity knew, the air was suddenly rent apart by the intensity and heat of an explosion.

Aurei and Loz, as well as mostly everyone else in that general area, instantly ducked for cover, some even falling to the ground out of complete surprise. When those who had recuperated fast enough chanced to take a look at what might have been the source, it took a few moments to register, with disbelief, that the head of one of the spotlights, the furthest away from the airship, was aflame. Even as they watched, a shred of flaming debris came falling down, landing in the branches of a sapling and setting that alight as well.

Although an air of franticness had settled on the scene when the spotlight had first burst into flames, once everyone realized how rapidly the fire was spreading, instant pandemonium broke out. In spite of all the emergency drills these people must have had, Aurei somehow was getting the feeling that they hadn't been drilled on how to extinguish an unexpected breakout of fire. Even if they did have fire extinguishers, though, she also noted that they would be completely ineffective in putting out the spotlight, for it stood high above the ground, far out of reach.

"Huh…?" Even as Loz was staring in bewilderment at the seemingly spontaneous combustions, yet another tree in that vicinity caught alight, and he jumped. "Whoa, now that just went boom too! How'd that happen?"

While Aurei too had been wondering the same thing, how a seemingly perfectly functioning light could suddenly malfunction like that, something else had snagged her attention, and she did not hesitate to give Loz a light, yet noticeable, push on his arm.

"Loz, look!"

At her touch and her outcry, Loz immediately whipped his head about, and only had to follow Aurei's gaze to see what exactly she was indicating. Amid all the chaos, it seemed that the guards and personnel had forgotten their positions, as those closest to the blaze had dashed as far away from the source as they could, while others would merely look at each other or look on helplessly. But, there were also those who had come running towards the fires, more than likely out of alarm to see what had just happened; some even had their guns drawn, as if to respond to an enemy attack. People had even come running out of the airship, several, in fact.

What Aurei happened to have seen, however, was that all of this had drawn everyone's attention away from the airship, creating the window of opportunity that she had been waiting for all this time. The two simply looked at each other for a few moments, silently debating on whether or not to follow through with their course of action, and only had to indicate with a nod what their agreement was.

Keeping low behind the wall of rock, they crept towards the airship, wanting to take their time yet both were simultaneously aware the seconds of opportunity were fast ticking away. Being the one in the back this time, Aurei wasn't so much looking where she was going so much as she was keeping an eye on the nearby guards, until she unexpectedly bumped into something quite solid and alive.

"Loz!" she snapped in a low voice, startled, having thought for a moment that their cover might have been blown. "What the hell—?"

Loz didn't even have to answer for his actions, as she saw the reason why moments afterward upon peering past his broad shoulders. Two unmistakable figures suddenly emerged from behind a boulder at least three hundred yards away, appearing one after the other, and proceeding stealthily towards the airship's ramp, only noticed by the two pairs of eyes that watched them in incredulity and amazement. It was then Aurei came to deduce just what had caused that light to explode, and thus make way for their lucky break, but there was only one thing that Loz could think of:

"I-it's them…" Loz almost forgot himself, barely restraining himself in time from jumping up and rushing straight over to them. He almost cried out in his joy. "Yazoo… Kallie… They're alive, Aurei, they're alive!"

* * *

_Uncle, May… Please don't be ashamed of me for this…_

That were the words Kallie had uttered under her breath, just before she had cast the Fire spell and caused the spotlight to burst into flames, and which had now become a mantra in her head as she and Yazoo made their mad dash towards the airship. (Well, it wasn't so much of a mad dash as much as they were creeping cautiously, though hurriedly, along, but they had to be mad in order to be doing what they happened to be doing right now.) She had barely heard Yazoo when he told her to follow his lead, and even as she proceeded in his wake, she did so practically absentmindedly. Her eyes were more focused on the mayhem ensuing because of her actions, the fire she had caused that was now spreading, the destruction that she had created.

She had destroyed. Maybe it was only one damn spotlight and a few stupid trees, maybe this was giving them the opportunity they so desperately needed, but she had destroyed. She had consciously chosen to destroy them, just like she had consciously chosen to break Elena's arm. Her hands felt even dirtier than before.

What was more, though, was that Kallie knew it still wasn't enough. It had helped them get this far, but she could hear her intuition telling her it still wasn't enough. This time, though, she only concentrated on the next target for a moment before causing the engine of a truck to burst into flames, only taking care to ensure that it had been sitting idle with no one in it or nearby. The explosion had still thrown a couple of men backwards, though at least now the other people had something else to keep them occupied.

_It's working… This is actually working…_ But she had still destroyed.

It was making Kallie begin to wonder who was really at fault for these crimes she was committing. Was it herself? That other consciousness? That voice she would hear in her head? She wanted to blame them for her actions, she wanted to blame anyone but herself. Everything would be so much easier that way. Yet, she was unsure if she had truly been the one making these decisions. She just didn't know, she just didn't know anymore. The lines in her consciousness were getting even more blurred; it was getting harder to tell who was who in her head.

And then, they were inside. Their flight had gone so smoothly, so uninterrupted, and their movements so undetected, that Kallie hadn't needed to pay much attention. It was only when they had gone up the ramp and into the airship itself that Yazoo slowed down just a little, to analyze this new space, and Kallie realized where they were. She also realized then just how leaden her entire body felt from anxiety, and almost stopped dead in her tracks, nearly even falling to her knees.

"This way," Yazoo commanded quietly, and she once more followed his lead.

Almost instinctually, they headed furtively in one direction down a corridor, pausing every now and then to listen for the sounds of any sort of movement other than their own. While the lack of footsteps or the rustle of uniforms was somewhat reassuring, Kallie couldn't help but feel unnerved that around every corner, there was going to be some guard standing there that they had been completely unaware of before. As Yazoo's ears were sensitive enough to pick up even the smallest sounds, though, that was something she was grateful for.

_The only thing I'm __**not**__ grateful for is that we still can't find a damn place to hide._

Actually having gotten inside of the airship was one thing, but finding a hiding spot in a place they had no familiarity with whatsoever was absolutely nerve-wracking. Especially once people started filing back into the airship after they took care of the ordeal outside, they would be undeniably trapped and inevitably caught, with no choice but to either surrender or be killed. W.R.O. seemed to be forgiving enough that they would probably just arrest her, yet she couldn't really say the same of Yazoo.

_It'll be for everyone's good, won't it?_ All the same, it was strangely hard for her to think of what they would do to Yazoo.

Then, they turned a corner, and the bottom of Kallie's stomach fell out. There, standing off to one side, next to what appeared to be a door, was a guard. For a moment, he seemed completely oblivious, his back turned to him and his heel scuffing the floor out of apparent boredom. Just when she thought they still had a chance to sneak back and avoid detection, that was when the guard must have realized there was someone else there and turned about to face their direction.

In that brief, heart-stopping moment as he looked directly at them, his eyes landed on Yazoo, and his face went ashen white. He had to know who Yazoo was. He had to have known exactly who he was and what he had done to be looking that terrified. He might have just shit himself the guard looked so scared.

But, when his gaze had shifted to Kallie, he really looked as though he just might drop everything he had, yet it seemed to be more out of shock and disbelief. The moment he must have seen her face, his mouth fell open; the moment Kallie saw his face, she too gasped. It had been forever since she had seen that face, and it had taken the meeting of their eyes for her to recognize it, but she knew that face. She knew his face just as well as he knew hers.

The moment of incredulity was abruptly ended when Yazoo sprung into action. Before the guard could react, before Kallie could stop him, the silver-haired man lunged forward and, in a move Kallie had never seen him use before, kneed the guard in the gut. As the guard doubled over, the air forced from him and spit flying from his mouth, Yazoo swiftly moved behind him and struck the back of his head with Velvet Nightmare, the guard slumping to the floor an instant later.

The two blows had been so swift, the silence had barely been disturbed by the assault. While Yazoo hardly appeared fazed, glancing back up the corridor to ensure that no one had heard and was rushing to the source of the commotion, Kallie was staring at the guard's still form, her hand over her gaping mouth in horror.

"Yazoo…" she gasped, too stunned to do anything else. "What… did you _do_? Is he—?"

"It was necessary," he snapped back at her in a low voice. "He would have—"

But, he ended the sentence abruptly, for both he and Kallie heard the same thing, the one thing they had hoped they wouldn't hear: the sounds of footfalls rushing toward them, drawing closer and closer to the corridor in which they were in. Kallie was still so stunned, she almost didn't draw her chakrams in preparation for the inevitable, backing up slightly so she was level with Yazoo. On the other hand, Yazoo had promptly readied himself, raising his gun and glaring intently at the mouth of the corridor. The corridor was a dead end, leaving them with nowhere to run- if they had to make a stand, they might as well be prepared for it. Or, at least, catch them while they were unsuspecting of anything.

The instant the approaching individuals came around the corner, Kallie braced herself and Yazoo touched his finger to the trigger, aiming, on the brink of pulling it back, before freezing in place. When they had darted around the corner and had seen the two figures, standing, fully prepared for a face-off, Aurei and Loz had instantly readied themselves as well. While the former had been on the verge of sending an Ice spell in their direction, Loz himself had been fully revved to speed forward and punch the daylights out of his own brother.

But, it was a fortunate thing all four members of the once-separated group had been able to recognize the faces of one another in the nick of time, or it might have been one short-lived reunion that would end in tragedy. They themselves all numbly realized this as the two sides simply stared at each other, baffled, caught off guard, almost not immediately registering the fact that they had so unexpectedly found each other again. Although they had all had their ideas and hopes of where and when this reunion would at last take place, no one had ever believed it would have been right here, right now.

The first to make any sort of break in the stillness of the moment was Loz, who had slowly lowered his fists, and just as slowly took a step or two towards them, unable to believe it was really both Kallie and his brother standing before him. He was really the only one to have made any sort of movements, for the other three merely stood there now, relaxing their stances and lowering their weapons as they looked from one to the other, just as both dumbfounded and elated as the next. But, the first to finally break the silence, in a low voice, was Aurei, and it was perhaps for the better.

"While it is nice to see that all of you are alive…" Her voice was as stern as ever, yet a hint of gladness remained nonetheless. "These aren't exactly the most preferable circumstances for a celebration. I can see that you might have already run into a problem," she said, looking past Kallie and Yazoo at the prone guard on the ground.

"It should no longer be," responded Yazoo, appearing as indifferent as ever even in light of the occasion. Seeing how incredibly more relaxed he appeared to be, however, it was still apparent that he was relieved by Aurei and Loz's presences, especially upon glancing over his brother to ensure he really was all right.

"'Should no longer be'?" If there was one person who wasn't exactly relieved by the reunion, it was one incensed orange-haired girl. After the initial mix of shock and glee was over, Kallie had been reminded then of the guard Yazoo had rendered motionless, and nearly dropped her chakrams as she whirled about, falling to her knees beside the guard not a moment later. "If you killed him, Yazoo—!"

"Then what?" he shot back, now seeming angered at Kallie's immense disapproval of his actions. "I've done us all a favor. Otherwise, we might have swarms of W.R.O. all over us right now."

"Which we might in a few minutes if we don't find a place to hide," Aurei reprimanded them, as sternly as she ever did. They might have spent nearly two days apart, and had all been through their own changes during the separation, but already it seemed that things had returned to normal in the group. Turning to look at the door that the guard had been standing beside, she examined it for a short while. "What does this door lead to…? Must be important if the guard was here."

Her inquiry was answered only a few moments later when Yazoo, who had been also scrutinizing the door, pressed a button on the keypad that was right next to the door. A small green light flashed above the keypad, and then the door suddenly slid open, revealing the room beyond. It wasn't particularly large or particularly small, and looked like it could be used for just about anything. At the moment, though, it appeared to be one of the places where cargo would be stored, for there were several piles of boxes of various sizes stacked inside, secured by nettings and tethers.

After everyone, save for Kallie who was still frantically checking the guard's vital signs, had peered inside the space to see if it was a suitable place to hide, they glanced back at each other, but before anyone could come to an agreement, a decision was made for them. The sounds of voices and footsteps drifted towards them from elsewhere on the airship, and though they still seemed to be far enough away, it was definitive that they were no longer so safe.

"Quickly!" Aurei hissed, then ordered to Loz, "Loz, pick up that guard and carry him into the room with us."

Even though she didn't explain exactly why, Loz didn't question a thing, nor did he seem to mind when Kallie silently insisted on holding up the guard by one arm while he held the other. If they had been swarmed by W.R.O. right then and there, he might not have even cared, for he was merely overwhelmed with happiness to see Kallie and Yazoo again. Once they were all inside the room, Yazoo closed the door via a button he had found on this side as well, though could find no way to lock it to ensure that no one could take a look inside, at least for a short while. Weaving their way through the crates, they went all the way to the back of the room, finding spots to hide behind the cargo before the group all felt they could settle down.

"Let's set him down here for now," Aurei told Loz and Kallie, who placed the guard in a seated position against a crate, and the latter immediately knelt before him. "Now, is he alive or not? Either way, we still might have an issue to deal with."

"…He's just unconscious," Kallie muttered. Upon having checked his vital signs and finding that he still lived, she was certainly a lot less panic-stricken than before. Admittedly, she also wasn't as infuriated with Yazoo for what he had done—it really might have been a necessary action on his part, now that she was thinking of it. She was just worried he might have been hurt badly.

"Then, if he wakes up before we arrive in Junon, we'll have to make sure he won't create a ruckus and alert the entire airship we're here," said Aurei, leaning over him slightly to assess for herself what injury he might have sustained from Yazoo's blow. "I would say bind and gag him, but as it seems we're lacking the necessary materials, we should take his gun for now. Loz, if you would?"

Nodding without hesitation, Loz removed the handgun from the holster at the guard's side, holding it up for examination in a rather childish way, but lost interest in it quickly. As nice as it would be to finally have a weapon of his own, though, he well knew a gun of any sort just wouldn't be a suitable replacement. He might have wielded Velvet Nightmare a few times, but he was never as good with it as Yazoo was—firearms would forever remain his brother's specialty. Plus, this one in particular just wouldn't do: it looked ridiculous, almost toy-like in his large hands.

"Y'know, if he does wake up again, I could just knock him out again," Loz came to suggest after a moment, looking back at the guard. "Then, he'd give us no troubles at all!"

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Kallie spoke up stiffly, and everyone looked at her, with Loz especially being taken aback by the sharpness in her voice.

"Why should you concern yourself with this guard?" asked Yazoo frostily. "He has only caused us complications, and needs to be dealt with accordingly."

When Aurei spoke up next, however, she sounded rather suspicious. "Kallie, do you somehow—?"

"Know this guy? Sounds totally far-fetched, but yeah… I do." Her gaze had barely left the guard's face the entire time he had been resting there against the crate, but now her eyes grew strangely softened, as did her voice. "In fact, I knew this guy well. Really well, you could say, and it's been a hell of a long time since I last saw him. He did tell me he wanted to join W.R.O.'s volunteer army, but I just… I never, ever thought…"

She trailed off, unable to properly explain just how unexpected, how unbelievable, this all was. Meeting up with Aurei and Loz so unexpectedly here was one thing, but if Kallie had ever, ever thought she would see this guy's face again, she would never have thought it here, right now, under already such bizarre circumstances. Everything had unfolded so strangely today, it was surreal; she might as well be pinching herself awake from such an odd dream.

Aurei still didn't quite sound as if she bought it yet, though. "Are you… _sure_ you know him?"

Kallie merely nodded. "Oh yeah. It might've been a while, but I know it's him, and I know he recognized me. I doubt he got a good look, though, before Yazoo smacked the living daylights outta him."

"Huh."

Not even Aurei seemed to be sure how to take this new twist, and Loz especially appeared incredibly bewildered, looking from the guard's face to Kallie's. While Yazoo's expression didn't immediately give away his thoughts on the matter, he himself had nothing to say on the matter, other than glancing towards the door, listening for indications that someone had noticed a guard wasn't at his post.

"Listen," Kallie spoke up after a few more moments of dumbfounded silence. "We can trust this guy, everyone, I know we can. If I can tell him our situation, I'm positive he'd understand, and maybe he can help us out." _He'd have to…_

"Maybe, but don't forget he is working for W.R.O.," Aurei pointed out. "He has a job to do, and—"

"But that doesn't mean he's turned evil or something!" Kallie suddenly fired back, feeling incensed that anyone would place doubt in the friendships she had, especially the close relation she once had to this guy. "He's not the type to put jobs over other people's problems, especially if it's… a friend."

Although, it was then Kallie truly felt uncertain, for she knew it had been a while since she had last had any correspondence with him—several months, in fact. Unlike Meryl, he had proved to be terrible at keeping up correspondence over long distances, which had been hard enough on her considering he had been among many people she had been close to who had moved to Junon or other places that were far away from Midgar, far away from that Meteor. It had been so long that she had come to believe she would never hear from him or see him again, although she had certainly been proved quite wrong in that regard.

"Please, Aurei, could you heal him?" Kallie was imploring of her sister. Even if this wasn't a matter of whether or not they were trying to avoid detection, she just wanted to make sure he would be all right. "Trust me on this. I know he won't betray us."

For a long while, Aurei was silent as she continued to scrutinize her sister's friend, evidently weighing their options. "If you're so sure, Kallie…"

"I'm sure."

"Then… so be it."

Evidently still not entirely certain this was a good idea, it was with slight reluctance that Aurei raised a hand and cast Cure upon him. Once the green glow of the spell faded away, it was with bated breath that Kallie gazed at him, anxious, waiting for that sign of life. It took many long, anxious moments to pass, but when he slowly began to stir, Kallie instantly straightened up in anticipation. While another minute went by before it was definitive that the guard was coming to, at last he groaned, placing a hand to the back of his head and tentatively rubbing it.

"What… the hell…?" he mumbled, in clear confusion. "What happened…? Where…?"

Quite slowly still, he rubbed the spot once more before gingerly lifting his head to see Kallie staring straight back at him with the utmost concern, and then all awareness seemed to have been slapped back into him in that moment. He positively balked, attempting to scramble away out of sheer shock, his eyes wide and his voice high-pitched in his bewilderment.

"K-K-_Kallie?_ What the—what're you—? Why—? How'd you—?"

"Todd!" Realizing just how loud he was being, Kallie promptly clamped her hand over his mouth, causing him to flinch and cease his panicked spasms, yet it still wasn't nearly enough to placate him. "Please, listen to me. Just… just calm down, okay?"

"Will you look at that? Already, he's creating a commotion," Yazoo remarked irritably, causing Kallie to glower back at him. She was already aware that just asking him to calm down wasn't going to do much good, but Yazoo's snide comment certainly wasn't going to help matters either. If anything, Todd had once again turned from bewildered to absolutely terrified as he set his eyes upon him, and it appeared that his recollection of the incident came flooding back to him, causing him to double his efforts to free himself from Kallie's attempts at restraining him.

"Whoa, Todd, listen!" Kallie cried again, but it was Aurei who would at last stop him from freaking out.

"If you don't quiet down immediately, Todd," snapped Aurei in as authoritative a tone as she could muster. "Then we will have no choice but to knock you unconscious again. Understand?"

Barely, he seemed to, but even if he wasn't immediately cured of his panic, Todd did quiet down at once. For several moments, he merely stared at Aurei, as if wondering if she was really there or not, but soon turned his attention back to Kallie as she removed her hand from his mouth, trusting he wouldn't have another panicked outburst.

"K-_Kallie!_" he stuttered yet again, although finally appeared to have gotten a hold of himself. "What in the _blazes_ are you doing here? Who the hell're those guys?"

Kallie opened her mouth to explain, but nothing came forth. The truth was, she wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to explain what she was doing here, hiding out in a cargo room, and why the hell she happened to be traveling with two silver-haired freaks and a woman carrying a chain-sickle. But then, that would mean needing to start from the beginning. From when May had been kidnapped by her half-brother, and she had gone to seek aid from Yazoo. From when she had met up with his brother, Loz, and later on discovered she had a long-lost sister. From when she fought a bunch of serpents, and learned that she possessed unnatural powers. From when…

No, it would be too much to tell him, just too much.

Luckily, Aurei came to the rescue yet again. "Explanations will have to wait. But right now, we need your utmost cooperation, and Kallie tells us we can trust you to do so."

Todd stared back at Kallie with widened eyes. Even if he didn't quite comprehend what that meant, he still seemed to realize that it wasn't exactly something he would want to do. "What…? Whaddya mean?"

"We're gonna be stowaways, Todd. We need to get to Junon as quickly as possible, and this airship is the only way."

The explanation still didn't seem to do much for Todd's disbelief. He only blinked, before shaking his head wildly, beginning to nervously laugh. "No… no… You're kidding, aren't you…? You're kidding, you gotta be…"

This definitely wasn't going as well as Kallie had hoped, and she was started to get frustrated in her desperation to make him heed her plea. "I'm here right now, aren't I, Todd? I'm here with two wanted criminals, aren't I? You know who they are, and it's because of them we have to travel like this."

Comprehension seemed to have seeped in a little at that point, especially at the earnest sincerity in her voice. Now that Todd was starting to accept the fact that Kallie was affiliating with villainy, a different sort of disbelief was appearing on his face, and it was one that Kallie had been dreading. It was that of judgment, of being regarded differently because of who she was with, and what she had done in order to be here. Maybe Kallie had barely even begun on everything that had happened thus far on her journey, but if she happened to be with Loz and Yazoo right now, one would only begin to assume the unscrupulous things she must have done as a result.

But, what she had dreading most of all was being judged by those who she called her friends, who she had known well before all of this cousin-rescuing business had started. She dreaded that, once they heard of the things she had done, then they would begin viewing her as a criminal too, as someone to be feared and avoided, and they would no longer see her as Kallie Bradford. Maybe now would be the first instance of how she would be judged. She especially wondered how someone like Todd would judge her, someone who she had dated for over a year and had once been very close to.

Yep, Todd was her former boyfriend. If there were anyone who would understand her plight, it would surely be him, right?

"Kallie…" His eyes were no longer so wide, but still full of incredulity. He had also done a double take upon having noticed the chakrams she wore at her side. "I… still don't get what's goin' on here. Why the _hell_ are those guys here? Who's that—?"

"We've already stated we don't have time for explanations," Yazoo reminded him, still quite coldly, and Todd shrunk away yet again. "Any moment now, the other personnel will realize you're missing from your station, and that raises the likelihood we will be discovered."

"You wouldn't want that now, would you?" Kallie quickly added, but Todd still didn't seem quite convinced. In fact, now that he appeared to have realized she was really here, he really did want explanations now, no matter what anybody said.

"It ain't likely they'll find I'm missing, honestly. They're pretty bad at keeping track of where we are." Shaking his head again, Todd suddenly seemed braver all of a sudden, glancing around at everyone in the group, yet primarily keeping his attention focused on Kallie. "But really, before I do _anything_, I'm gonna need some explanations. That's just how it is."

_At least you're not so gullible anymore._ "And really, if I'm gonna explain to you everything that's happened in my life, I'd probably be talking well into the next decade. But, I can give you the brief rundown of it all, how does that sound?"

"You'd better listen to that, if nothing else," said Aurei, quite dangerously. Seeming to realize then he had no other choice, he nodded without further question.

"All right, then…" Kallie cleared her throat slightly. "You remember my cousin, right?"

His face actually lit up a little. "May? 'Course I remember her! Hard to forget a sweetheart like her."

"Well, she's been kidnapped, and I'm after the kidnapper. Whoever the kidnapper's working for also wants me for whatever reason, and maybe even Loz and Yazoo and Aurei here. We've got reason to believe the kidnapper's heading to Junon, and we need to get there by any means necessary."

"And that is where you come in," Aurei continued. "If you can pretend as if you never saw us, while ensuring that no one will come looking and discover us here, then that will be a tremendous help."

Todd barely seemed to hear Aurei, though, for he was once again staring at Kallie incredulously. "…Holy hell, Kallie."

"Please, Todd, it's the truth. I know this is so sudden and confusing as hell, but we really don't have many other options here. _I_ don't have a lot of options right now."

That definitely struck a chord in Todd, and the incredulity had again left his gaze, but to her relief, he no longer appeared to be judging. In fact, she was sure she could see a familiar fondness in his eyes, something that was sympathetic, even. Before he could give a definitive reply, however, a sudden shouting off in the distance startled them all. While it had them on edge for a few moments, they soon came to realize that a man was shouting something about preparing for liftoff. Not a moment later, there was a huge rumble as the sound of engines and propellers started up, and a tremor ran throughout the entire ship.

The airship was at last preparing to leave. Kallie wondered if her little wildfire had been taken care of yet; if Todd had been aware of the blaze, as she sure he was, she didn't want to have to tell him she was the one responsible, especially now that he was certainly going to help them.

"All right," Todd acquiesced at last. While his eyes kept roving uncertainly over Loz and Yazoo, the sincerity was still there when he looked back at Kallie. "I'll do my best to keep people away from here. Shouldn't be too hard, since they really don't have much reason to check this room after take-off."

"While you're at it, try to figure out how we can get out of here as well undetected." Aurei nodded to Loz. "He's going back out there, so give him his weapon back, Loz."

It was probably only then that Todd realized his firearm had been taken from him, and doubly flinched when Loz suddenly held it out to him, the barrel pointed towards him. Hastily taking the pistol back, Todd shoved it back into the holster with a bit of a shudder and quickly rose to his feet, clearly glad to finally be getting away from this strange bunch. After he had wound his way through the crates and was nearly at the door, however, Todd turned back around, plainly to speak to Kallie, for there was actually a slight grin on his face.

"Once I get a break, Kallie, I'm coming back here and you're telling me _everything_, got that?"

"I'll try," she responded, attempting a smile back, and hated how hard even something like that was. Even if it was Todd, she couldn't promise that she would be able to even scratch the surface of her adventures; she didn't know if Todd would even be able to begin to understand everything she was going through right now.

"I wouldn't recommend coming back, Todd." Aurei didn't appear to like how laidback he was even in such a dire situation. "It would appear suspicious."

With merely a shrug in response, Todd pressed the button to open the door before walking out, and they saw him glancing about the corridor before the door closed behind him. Having been watching him until then, Kallie gave a huge sigh and slumped against the crate Todd had previously been leaning up against, feeling emotionally drained more than anything else. Moments later, though, she received a sudden hard prod in the arm, and listlessly turned her head to see Loz staring back at her.

"Aren't… you happy to see us again?" he asked, with all the hesitance of a tentative child. "I was… really worried 'bout you and Yazoo."

That alone brought a small smile to her face, wan though it was. "'Course I'm happy to see you guys again. I was worried about you too, and I'm glad that you're both in one piece."

"Same here," Aurei spoke up, taking a seat on a crate and leaning back against the wall. "It is certainly good to see that we all made it out of the Mythril Mines alive. Wouldn't you agree, Yazoo?"

Predictably, the only one who wasn't sharing in the joyfulness of the reunion was Yazoo. He hadn't taken any measures to take a seat or settle down at all, continuing to stare off in the direction of the door. Though he appeared to have a pretense of listening to what was going on beyond the room, it was clear he was doing his best to ignore Aurei.

"Well?"

"What do you think?" he finally responded, lightly scoffing.

"You're happy about it too, I know it," Loz answered for him, making his brother roll his eyes, and Kallie had to smile once more.

"What I would like to know," stated Yazoo stiffly, clearly determined to steer away from the topic, "Is what happened once we were separated. Exactly what _did_ you do to escape? It seemed as though you caused a cave-in."

"We did," said Aurei. "It was a rash move on our part, and I'm amazed it even worked."

"So what did you do?"

"I punched our way through all those rocks that were blocking the tunnel."

Kallie blinked disbelievingly at him. "You… what?"

And so, Aurei and Loz began to relay the details of what should have been an impossible escape that had still somehow succeeded in the end. After her initial declaration of amazement, Kallie simply listened to their account without further comment, while Yazoo would interject with a question here and there. It was only once it was their turn to tell their tale that Kallie spoke up, especially since Yazoo was rather adamant on leaving out details, such as the simple fact she had been the one who had actually helped them escape.

But, once the discussion turned back to the battle in the mines, particularly that of the appearance of the serpents and how they had been aiding the Turks, something which even Loz made an input in, Kallie fell silent once more as she let herself become lost in her thoughts. She thought about Todd, and that though she wished she could truly be glad to see him again, she almost wished she hadn't. She wished that she didn't have to be obliged to tell him her story, so that she wouldn't ever have to be judged. Even at seeing who she had aligned herself with, Todd hadn't appeared to think any less of her, but once she told him everything…?

Well, she would soon find out for herself. After half an hour had passed, at which point Aurei and Yazoo were still caught up in a debate about exactly what the serpents were and who was their summoner, the door was suddenly opened again. Startled, everyone immediately ducked out of sight, yet relaxed upon seeing that Todd had returned, and without any other unwanted individuals following him.

"Look, I'm back," he said once he reached Kallie and sat down next to her, although still appeared quite uncomfortable in the presence of the silver-haired brothers. It was a good thing he hadn't looked back, or he might have noticed the irritated glance Yazoo shot in his direction before he at last took a seat upon a crate like Aurei had. "And you've got a story to tell me, just like you promised, right?"

"Yes, sir," she replied, once again forcing herself to smile. "But I warned you, we might be ten years older by the time I'm done talking, especially if you want me to tell you everything."

"These airship rides usually feel like they take that long, so it'll be the perfect way to pass the time."

"If you're so sure…" Kallie's feigned smile broadened a little more before fading away entirely, and she sighed. Well, she was likely going to have to tell this story a million times over, so she might as well get some practice in now.

The big question was, where the hell should she even begin?

* * *

At last, he was here. It had taken nearly a full day, a full day of nonstop traveling and barely pausing even once along the way, except to allow short respites for May's sake. While he kept her comfort in mind as best he could, however, Raide hardly thought of his own needs. He couldn't say he had slept at all since two days ago; in compensation, he tried to eat and drink as much as he could during those moments when he would give May a break, but it still wasn't enough. By this time, he was running on mere adrenaline alone, driven solely by the thought of reaching Junon as fast as he could…

But, despite the toll it might have taken on his already delicate body, Raide was sure it had paid off. He had arrived here much sooner than he ever thought he would have, had he actually taken time to stop and rest as he had normally been doing along his journey. Rubbing his exhausted eyes, he sighed as he sat back on his motorcycle, surveying what he could see of Junon from the hillock he had halted briefly upon. Behind him, he could feel May stirring from one of the many naps she had been taking during the ride, and he could not help but smirk, looking back over his shoulder at her.

"Look where we are, May." Weary though he was, Raide's voice was nonetheless full of condescendence and haughtiness, and that was because of one thing alone. "Junon's just right up ahead… and I doubt your dear cousin will have made it this far."

* * *

_OH NO YOU DIDN'T, RAIDE. Just you wait, just you wait… -ahem- Well, I'm sure there's a lot more I wanted to say about this chapter, but I'm dead tired at the moment and I feel like my mind's already in bed, ha ha. It's been a long week. It's been a long month, really, which is ironic considering February's the shortest month of the year… _

_But anyway, yeah, a lot of things got in the way of writing this chapter, namely getting sick for about a week and barely having the energy to do anything, in addition to being swamped by projects. The other day, it made me realize just how nice it would be never to have to take the time to eat or sleep, that it wouldn't be a necessary thing—I could get so much more work done, lol. But alas, I'm not like Loz or Yazoo, so I'll be doing the finishing touches to this chapter and hitting the sack right afterwards._

_As usual, I hope you enjoyed, so leave me your feedback and I shall get back to you! And cool stuff like that. Yayness._


	23. Disquiet Before The Storm

_Ha ha HA! Bet no one thought I'd update this month it took me so long, huh? Because I didn't update on the last weekend of the month like I usually do? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I made it before the end of the month after all, so HA!_

_Okay, I don't actually believe that you guys ever placed any doubt in my ability to update, and I'm sure you're only glad that I did post a new chapter. :P I have to say, though, I was so far behind in writing this chapter that I almost thought I wouldn't be able to update at all this month, because I never, ever want to post unfinished work. _

_But man, I don't think any month of my life has been anymore stressful than the one that's just about to conclude. Even with a week off for Spring Break, the workload I've had for all my classes has been immense; I even pulled an all-nighter in order to get a project done, which I have never have had to do before. Hence, I really did not have a lot of time to work on this chapter, and so I'm doubly amazed that I actually did manage to get it done._

_What's ironic about this month being so stressful, though, is that normally I look forward to March the most because it's my birthday month. That's right, for those of you who didn't see the update on my profile, as of 3:12 AM on March 12__th__ (yes, I know the exact time I was born), I am officially __**nineteen**__! Only one more year of being a teenager, yay! XD But, what I find kinda weird about being nineteen is that I'm now the same age as Kallie, a character that I created when I was maybe fifteen? _

_Not only have I've been writing her for just about four years now, but now that I'm finally as old as she is, I just might understand a little more what it's like to be her. Except, not really—I don't think many people have gone through as much as she has at her age, lol._

_Anyway, I've been ranting long enough about my personal life, so I'll let you get to reading this long awaited chapter. Enjoy!_

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 23**

_Disquiet Before The Storm_

"…Damn." At the end of Kallie's lengthy narrative, that was just about the only word Todd could seem to get out. "Damn, Kallie… Just… _damn._"

Throughout the telling of her tale, with every event Kallie could describe that had led her to this point, Todd had only grown more and more flabbergasted, until it seemed he had reached a point where he couldn't possibly get any more flabbergasted. Maybe he had simply stopped trying to believe in everything he had been hearing, or stopped disbelieving just to make it easier on himself. Whether or not he had chosen to believe her story, though, it was evident he had been overwhelmed by the mountain of information she had just finished relaying. Todd had simply slumped back against the crate behind him, putting his head back as well while he sighed, as if he had just finished a marathon.

Well, if Todd thought he had just run a marathon, then in comparison, Kallie might as well have just done three nonstop laps around the world. She doubt she had given herself a break once throughout the narration, and wasn't sure exactly how long it had all taken, but it just might as well have taken a decade like she had said it would. In reality, it was probably about an hour, yet it had been an hour of long-winded explanations and answering; her throat was parched, her head was spinning. Regardless of who she would first tell her story to, or when that would first happen, Kallie had known it would be a doozy, and she had sure been right—it had probably been even more daunting than she had imagined.

The first challenge had been trying to find a place to begin, and even once Kallie thought she had found that someplace, it hadn't taken her long to realize that she needed to backtrack in order to explain something else. So, she would do that, and then even once she thought she had finally nailed the starting point, again she would find herself needing to explain yet another event that had occurred beforehand. It took her several more times for her to at last realize just how many different events had led to this journey she was on now…

The one thing she especially had been forced to backtrack to a lot was that fateful day when May had first been kidnapped by Yazoo; Kallie especially found herself having to describe the day when all chaos had been let loose in Edge. The day she had first seen who Loz and Yazoo were, the day she had first become aware of her fire powers, the day May had been miraculously cured… So much had happened that day that tied in with all these recent events, it made Kallie begin to wonder, while she had been telling Todd about it, just how much of it had been a coincidence, and how much of it had meant to happen.

Kallie had also had to tell Todd about the day after, the day of that fateful encounter with Yazoo in Midgar's ruins… There was no getting around that, for she had to explain exactly how she had come to Yazoo for help, and it had been then that Todd had started giving her that look again, that look that Kallie dreaded so much. Even if she had described the circumstances, she was still unsure whether or not it would have had helped Todd understand her situation better.

And then, there was also no getting around the fact that she had to tell him the unnatural things she was capable of now—the fact that she could wield fire magic without a materia. Above all else, that was the one thing she wished she could have avoided telling him. If there was one thing he would be the least likely to believe, it would be that he had once been intimate with a girl who might not be human after all.

But, there was no avoiding it. After all, it was probably the real, singular reason why she would be hiding as a damn stowaway right now anyway. So, she told him. She told Todd everything that had made her realize her incredible abilities and the source of them all. She told Todd about the things she could do with them, and the things she had done, including having been the one to destroy that spotlight.

As she had expected, he would not believe her.

"No, no… Kallie, don't be shitting me." He sounded absolutely serious now, like he just might be about to ask her to stop pulling his leg, like this was one huge practical joke. "Kallie, no, that just… that just doesn't happen. Something like that's not possible, we both know that. It just ain't possible."

"I'm not shitting you. You know I wouldn't do that." Her voice was quite serious in her desperation to make him believe. But, it was slightly angry as well, even a little sad, that he wouldn't believe her. "Don't think I ever thought it was possible either. But, turns out, it is, and I'm the living proof of it. So is Aurei."

"Kallie, no…"

"Let me show you that proof, Todd."

Hence, it was with a resolute sigh that Kallie made him believe. Accessing her magical power was so effortless now, especially with the small amount that she needed, that it hardly took her a voluntary thought anymore. Feeling Todd's unbelieving eyes upon her as she held her hands out before her, she next heard his gasp when a small ball of fire flared into existence above her open palms. Just to show him that she could, she proceeded to make the flame expand and contract, then had it rise into the air above their heads. It hovered there for a moment, before Kallie drew it back down into her hands and closed them over it, extinguishing it while not leaving the slightest bit of smoke, not even burning herself in the process.

If she had to name the point where Todd couldn't become any more flabbergasted, it had been that tiny demonstration of her power. Todd appeared so uncertain that the moment had occurred, Kallie was considering showing him again, but did not want to make any more displays of her unnatural powers than she had to. She had shown him the proof once, and that was all that was necessary.

Now, though, now that Kallie had at last wound up the most recent of events, once again reluctantly confirming that she had been the one to make the spotlight and the truck explode, she was truly in anticipation. Like a criminal dreadfully awaiting the judge's sentencing, Kallie sat beside him, almost not daring to meet his eyes. Having explained everything to him now, she wasn't sure what that would do for him: would the ends justify the means, or would he be even more sickened by what she had done? After uttering his amazement at the end of it all, it was still quite hard to tell; Todd seemed squarely in the middle.

Strangely enough, it would be Aurei who would help pry an affirmative opinion out of him—strange only because she, Loz, or Yazoo had barely said anything throughout Kallie's narration, only speaking up when she had asked them to confirm something or provide additional information. What Kallie had also found odd about it, for some reason, was that it had been Aurei who had asked such a question, as if she too was concerned with his verdict.

"Is our tale too tall for you to swallow, Todd?" As authoritative and stern as she usually attempted to make her voice, though, Aurei sounded strangely subdued at the same time. Maybe she really was concerned about what he thought of them, as uncharacteristic as that seemed of Aurei.

"I…" he tried to respond, but ended up shaking his head once more. "It's just… it's just so hard to believe. I-I mean, the last thing I ever thought would happen to Kallie here when I left her is that she'd ever wind up in a mess like this."

"Don't think I ever thought it would happen either," Kallie retorted. "It's not like I asked for this all to happen, y'know."

Kallie wished that her temper wouldn't be flaring up around someone who was such a good friend, but it was simply frustrating that Todd still didn't want to seem to believe in her story—she didn't know what else she could tell him. It was making her wish more and more that she didn't have to be telling him this story in the first place; she was even wishing that she wouldn't have anything to do with this journey right now. Nothing to do with her powers, nothing to do with either her sister or her half brother, and especially nothing to do with the silver-haired brothers.

Now that she was with Todd, all she wished was that they could be together as friends, just as she was hoping the next time she would see him. Maybe they had broken up more than a year ago, and she no longer felt so strongly for him anymore, but they had always been good friends whether or not they were dating. When she would be able to see him next, regardless of whether or not they were still together, Kallie had wanted to hang out with him just like they had in old times, doing what teenagers loved to do the most and what they did best.

_But, already… I feel like I'm too old for that now_. Sure, her upcoming twentieth birthday was just on the horizon, being in only a couple of weeks, yet already Kallie felt she was much older than that. It made her feel suddenly sad that she could feel so deprived of youth this early in her life, at a time when she should be enjoying her still-young age. Then again, Kallie really hadn't had much opportunity to enjoy her youth like other people her age in the past seven years, let alone the past couple of months.

Though an awkward, tense silence had begun to fall between her and Todd, Kallie adamantly made sure it wouldn't settle completely. If something was to happen, which it was bound to in their current precarious position, and this would be the last time she ever got to speak to Todd, she didn't want it to be on such a discordant note.

"Are you just gonna sit there with your mouth gaping open like that, or is there really nothing you can say about all this shit that's happened to me?" As Todd ran a hand through his hair nervously, Kallie leveled her gaze upon him with a stern intensity. "You _did_ want to know about why the hell I'm here, y'know. Regretting that you ever asked?"

"…Kinda," he replied, tentatively. Once again, he looked at her like he was really attempting to see whether or not this was really the Kallie he had known sitting next to him. "Well, what the hell else do you expect me to say to all that?"

"That you'd believe me, that's all, and you know I'm not here because I want to be. I have to be here."

"I…" Flattening his hair down once more, he shook his head for the umpteenth time. "I'm sorry, Kallie, I don't wanna doubt you at all. It's just that—"

Just then, however, a ripple of alarm rushed through the group when the door to the cargo room suddenly opened, and everyone except for Todd ducked out of sight as quickly as they could. While they had all heard a couple of men talking to each other as they had been approaching the door a few moments prior, they had all heard people walking past in the corridor often enough that they had stopped thinking anything of it, until it had caught them off guard just now. Anxious though they were that they might be feet away from being discovered, soon even Yazoo would become grateful for Todd's presence as a way to cover up their status as stowaways.

"Dude, the hell're you doing in here?" came the voice of a young man, who sounded around the same age as Todd.

"We've been lookin' for you all over this ship, man." The other also appeared to be in the same age group. "Smokin' something in here you don't want us findin' out about? Shoulda invited us, man."

"Hell no, you know I don't do that shit," Todd replied hastily, quickly getting to his feet before his fellow comrades got anymore suspicious and attempted to investigate the room further. He didn't even glance back once at Kallie, as if trying to pretend she wasn't there at all. "I… I've just been talking to my girl, that's all. It's been a few days since I've last seen her, y'know?"

"Oh, so now it's some sweet talk you didn't want us overhearing, huh?" came the snide voice of the second person who had spoken.

"Shut up, Aaron." Todd's rebuttal appeared to have been in good humor, though the rest of the conversation was lost once the door shut behind him and only muffled voices could be discerned heading away from the room, until there was quiet again.

Todd's abrupt departure didn't leave Kallie in the grandest of moods. Even if he hadn't been able to finish his sentence, she had gotten the gist of what he was saying, and that was, even if he did believe her, he didn't want to. She just wished that she had been able to talk to him more, to help convince him to be understanding of her plight, rather than leaving them on such an unresolved note. There was so much else she wanted to talk to him about anyway, so much she wanted to know about what had been going on in his own life, so much that the two of them needed to catch up on from not having spoken in such a long time.

On that matter, though, what she had overheard him saying about a girl had confirmed what she had heard from Meryl: that Todd had managed to get himself a new girlfriend not long after they had broken up. Kallie couldn't say she had been jealous, for the matter of distance and other issues had somewhat dissolved the romantic feelings between them. Even if it hadn't been long after they had broken up, she didn't have any reason to begrudge him for it, and it wasn't like she needed a man at her side to survive anyway. The past two months especially had been proof of that.

_Barely, to tell the truth…_ But, that had really been just because one of the most beloved people in her life had gone, and she had been on the verge of losing another.

Not wanting to sink her already depressed state even further, though, Kallie hastily sought a means to distract herself from her thoughts and found it, unfortunately, as she looked towards Yazoo. During the entire past hour, she had heard hardly a word out of him, not even to refute or attempt to correct anything she might have said during her narration. It was his usual thing, she was well aware, him just sitting there in silence, lost in thought as he stared contemplatively off into space; the shadows from the low lighting that hid much of his face especially made him appear even more expressionless.

As she continued to gaze at him, however, she was not glad that she had begun to find herself with the usual unwanted thoughts. This time, she was having the strange notion that Yazoo would have shown more of a reaction to Todd's presence—yep, she was talking jealousy, that he might be jealous of some other guy who was so close to her, regardless of the fact he wouldn't have any idea they had once dated. But, she knew it was just wistful thinking; as ever, Yazoo looked as though he barely gave a shit, only treating Todd with the same disdain and indifference as he would with any other human.

As time passed in the cargo room, however, with no conversation at all between any of them, more and more Kallie could feel the tension rising. Well, there almost never seemed to be a time when tension _wasn't_ in the air, especially while they were all shoved into tight, enclosed spaces, but it certainly felt more palpable than ever before. Everyone was acting uptight and on edge, there was no doubt about that, but even Aurei and Yazoo appeared to be having more difficulty than usual in concealing their anxiety, actually fidgeting about restlessly on the crates they sat upon. While she could understand why Yazoo might be nervous, since he wasn't sure of where to find his mom in Junon, it did surprise her that Aurei would show any signs of unease.

"Aurei…" Kallie spoke, unable to stand the silence any longer. "Raide's really gonna be there in Junon, right?"

"Nothing is for certain," she answered after a moment, and Kallie could definitely tell now that something was up with her sister—Aurei didn't sound well at all in her response. "But, Father and I have reason to believe that Junon would be the most likely destination, solidified by the visions that you and I have had of him. Besides… Junon was also most likely his birthplace."

"His birthplace… You mean…?" Kallie stiffened a little then at the unpleasant realization that struck her. "You mean, that was where Dad would've—?"

"Would have had his… affair? Yes."

Suddenly, Aurei lurched forward slightly, planting a hand to her mouth, and Kallie and Loz started, their concern piqued.

"You okay?" Loz asked, with a strange amount of kindness that Kallie would have never expected from him. On the other hand, Yazoo was as aloof as ever.

"…Fine." But, there was a slight dip in the movements of the airship, and Aurei gave another lurch forward, clearly indicating then the cause of her apparent state of ill health.

"_Motion sickness_?" said Kallie, incredulously. Coming to that conclusion had surprised her more than anything, and Loz seemed to think the same way. "But, you never got sick while driving the truck, did you?"

"I've never flown before, though." Her entire hand now covered her face, and her other hand clenched over the side of the crate when the airship gave another prominent dip. "I didn't think I'd ever get motion sick either… until now. I can feel every small dip and lurch this ship makes, and it…" She groaned, leaving the sentence unfinished. "I'd hate to leave any questions unanswered, but now wouldn't be the best time… I'd rather not speak at all, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all." Kallie did have other things on her mind, other things that she had been meaning to talk to Aurei about, but could see that now really wouldn't be the time. "Sorry, Aurei, hope you feel better."

Aurei said or did nothing in response, and so Kallie bit her lip as she sat back, feeling dread creeping over her again. She had a feeling that other factors might be present in Aurei's current condition, but whether or not she was going to admit she had them, she really did seem airsick. As Kallie had had the fortune of rarely ever being motion sick in her life, it hence still came as a surprise that Aurei would get motion sickness at all. Was this just another way that she and her sister were very unlike each other? It was the first real moment where Kallie had had an opportunity to feel concerned about something that ailed her sister, though.

Concerned though she was, however, just from glancing over at Loz, she felt it paled in comparison to the concern that he was expressing towards her right now. Although Aurei had covered her face and her eyes were closed so she couldn't see him, he was gazing at her with what was undeniably worry; it almost looked as though he even wanted to say or do something to make her feel better, but didn't know what. Now, Kallie didn't want to make assumptions, yet there was no throwing out the possibility that something had happened between the two of them that might have brought them closer together. It would never be visible with Aurei, but with Loz it seemed to be written all over his face.

Well, antipathy though there still was between herself and Yazoo, Kallie had to admit that having traveled alone together had changed their attitudes toward each other, not to mention her own unwanted feelings toward Yazoo that had become even more developed as a result. Out of all them, though, she had to say that Loz, with his innocent mindset, would be the most open to forming closer friendships. From what she was seeing right now, Kallie even dared to say that he might actually be fonder of Aurei than he was of his own brother, which she couldn't blame him for, but even that supposition seemed like a stretch. No matter what, it somehow felt like nothing could top the ties that Loz and Yazoo would inexorably have as brothers. Even if there wasn't any visible evidence or anything to support that, it was just the feeling Kallie got from looking at the two of them.

_Just something else I gotta ask Aurei about, I guess, what Loz is really like…_ Once she and Aurei were inevitably alone together when they reached Junon, and Aurei was feeling better, she was sure her sister would be asking questions of the same nature about Yazoo. As she had once wanted them to 'improve relations', she would be probably be curious if anything of the sort had happened during the separation. Kallie especially wondered what her reaction would be if she told her of her newly wrought, undesired sentiments for the silver-haired man, whether she would express disinterest, neutrality, or plain disapproval. Probably the latter.

Curling her legs up against her chest and wrapping her arms about them, Kallie rested her head upon her knees with a quiet sigh, finding herself once more looking in Yazoo's direction. He had barely moved at all, not showing the least bit of concern for Aurei's well being, or for the well being of anybody else in the room, for that matter. Yet, even as she thought about how he never exceeded her expectations anymore, always being the aloof freak that he was, it was then something almost startling occurred to her. If Loz, his brother, someone who was clearly the same species of whatever the hell they were, could possibly feel even an once of compassion for another being… was it plausible that, someday, Yazoo would eventually come to feel the same way?

_Nah, get real, Kallie. Hell will freeze over before that'll ever happen._ This was Yazoo she was talking about, after all, as much as there was that one part of her which wished for the hopeless and unobtainable. No matter how much either of the brothers might develop their sentiments anyway for any living being, Kallie couldn't ever see it going _that_ far anyway.

Besides… with all the observations she had made of the two brothers, both before the separation and now here in the cargo room, Kallie couldn't help but come to notice something about them. It almost seemed to her that, with their similar yet different appearances, and their starkly contrasting personalities, it was as if they comprised two parts of a greater whole. Though she couldn't put her finger on exactly how she had come to that conclusion, she nevertheless still couldn't disregard the notion—they just seemed somehow… _incomplete_ to her. Maybe, if she ever had had the chance to meet their deceased younger brother or found out more about them, then she could figure out just what had given her this idea.

But, Kallie could almost see now that, of these 'parts', it was if Loz was ordained to be the physically strong, yet childish and compassionate one, and Yazoo would forever be the one to be full of coldness and indifference. No matter what trials might befall them, they were eternally doomed to those fates, and nothing could be done to change them. Even if it was just all speculation, though, it was still rather sad to think about. Especially given the way her life was going right now, she just might be destined for the same exact things. Like they were all simply puppets of some greater master.

_Now where did that thought come from…?_

Yet, as Kallie she could feel herself on the edge of yet another reminiscence that was so hazy and unclear, another far off memory that didn't belong to her, she did have an idea what would have spawned that thought. Though she was never in the mood to be bombarded with the turmoil of her past life, she knew she couldn't stop thinking about fate. About Yazoo. Was there really any such thing as fate? Could even he one day prove that he had the ability to overcome that cold aloofness and defy whatever path had been set before him? Could he ever feel anything beyond the disdain and contempt he always displayed?

_Could… __**he**__ ever possibly change? _

* * *

_Aerith…_ _Is this really what we should be doing now? Is this really the place where we should be?_

Cloud couldn't say now how many times he had uttered her name to himself, or exactly how many times he had asked those questions so far. Of everything he had wondered about and ruminated over during the past three days they had been here, it had always returned to that simple line of thinking. Ever since their first night here in the Forgotten City, doubt had plagued his mind that he might have been wrong all along about what their next move should be.

At first, he hadn't wanted to admit that they could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. After all it had taken to reach this place, after having fought his reluctance to ever visit the Forgotten City again, Cloud hadn't even wanted to think of turning back. He had been so positive, so absolutely positive, that the remnants would be here that, upon coming to the realization that he might have been wrong, he hadn't been sure of what else to do. Even upon suggesting that the group split up and wait at the only two possible locations where the remnants would go, Cloud still had the feeling that it wasn't what they should be doing now. His comrades had been able to sense his uncertainty, he could tell, but it wasn't as if they had any better ideas—not even W.R.O. had been able to pick up any further leads despite their thorough investigations.

In spite of his uncertainty, though, Cloud had still decided to give it a little while longer. There was nowhere else that anyone could think of where the remnants and their strange ally might be, and the members of Avalanche might as well remain in the likeliest locations to heighten their chances of an encounter with their elusive quarry. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that they were doing the correct thing, it did not take long for the doubt to gnaw at the edges of his consciousness again. When that had happened, nearing the evening of their second day here, Cloud had hesitantly—though adamantly—decided that this was not the place to be.

Of course, he hadn't been able to carry through with his resolution like he had wanted to, or else Cloud might not be seated here, near the banks of that pool before what had been Kadaj's base. He was still of the mindset that they should be searching for the remnants elsewhere, yet now even more indecision had been thrown into the mix.

Every time Cloud had so much as thought of telling his comrades that they ought to leave, that they should be anywhere but here, again and again something would be there to stop him. Every time, it was as if some force was there gently, yet firmly, holding him back, like a voice whispering in his ear or a hand being softly placed upon his shoulder. It wasn't something from within his own consciousness, he knew, or as far as he was certain of. The first time it had happened, he wasn't sure if it was yet again those dreaded hallucinations that had haunted him in the past, whether it was caused by the otherworldly forces that constantly had a presence in his life, or simply something that he had induced upon himself.

The more times it had occurred, however, the more he came to realize that the former might be the closest to the truth. A supernatural presence it might be, yet nevertheless one that felt familiar to him, one which he had been hoping and waiting for all this time so that he might finally have some answers he had been seeking.

_Aerith…_ As a cool breeze swept over him, Cloud closed his eyes, straining his ears as if the wind would come carrying the flower girl's voice. _It's really you who has been giving me these visions, right?_

As much as Cloud yearned to hear or see Aerith one more time, however, it was yet something else that plagued him with doubt. If it was truly Aerith attempting to keep him here, then surely that could only mean that they had to remain here for some greatly important purpose. So, if that was the case, wouldn't that purpose have become obvious by now? Whenever he thought he did feel her presence, she would never tell him why he had to stay, only that he had to.

At times, it made him wonder if it was actually Aerith or not, if it was, in fact, his greatest enemy attempting to impersonate her and detain him here, while the true havoc was wreaking elsewhere… But, it wouldn't be long before Cloud would firmly disregard that notion. There was no possible way that anything as tainted or foul as Sephiroth could even begin to imitate the pure and holy energy that was Aerith, there was no possible way.

_So then, why, Aerith?_ He didn't want to feel the least bit frustrated with someone who was so dear to him, yet the pressure of a time of crisis like this one was bearing down upon him. He wanted answers, he _needed_ them, if he was to at last understand what was happening. _Why do we need to stay here?_

Not long after Cloud had thought that did he believe he might have finally gotten the answer he had been waiting for. It all started when, somewhere back in the forest behind him, there came the sound of a twig snapping—quite a few twigs snapping, in fact. The sounds certainly caught his attention: up to that point, all Cloud had been hearing was silence, save for the occasional shriek of one of the Sleeping Forest's indigenous creatures off in the distance. The snapping had been quite heavy as well, as though something of a substantial weight had stepped on those twigs.

That idea alone had put Cloud's instincts on high alert. For so long, he had been anticipating something to happen here. So much tension had been building to this moment, Cloud's own nerves just be about ready to snap like those twigs had. He was ready, he was waiting, and he wasn't going to be caught with his guard down this time. If they were attempting to sneak up on him again, then their plan had just fallen through. Warily, he scanned the environment around him for the source of the snapping, his hand on the hilt of First Tsurugi which rested beside him.

This time, it was a rustling in the underbrush that helped him pinpoint the source of the sounds a little more, and he directed his gaze into the darkness that had settled amid the forest, trying to discern exactly what was making the noises he was hearing. The more he listened, as a matter of fact, the more he began to realize that it sounded like something—or someone—was back there, attempting to move around as quietly as possibly but unable to proceed in complete silence. Cloud readied himself a little more, even feeling a bit of cockiness coming on now that he had caught this possible individual in the act.

Then, in a fleeting glimpse, he saw it far back in the forest: a figure, dark in the waxing gloom, sidling almost cautiously between the trees. Cloud did not hesitate to act—if the remnants were intending to catch him by surprise once more, then their plan had just been foiled!

Not giving the individual a chance to react, before they could realize their cover had been blown, in an instant Cloud had picked up his sword and charged through the trees at his target. Going so fast everything around him was nearly a blur, he almost didn't see what he was striking out at once he reached the place where he had spotted the figure. Yet, fortunately, he had only swung the blade once before he ceased the onslaught, for a split second later, Cloud had realized then who he had been moments away from cutting down. In fact, he nearly dropped the First Tsurugi in shock.

"_Tifa?_"

"C-Cloud…!" Tifa herself had been so startled by his sudden swiftness, she was also in a great deal of shock, and had to fall slightly against a nearby tree for support. Her own reflexes had barely acted in time to dodge out of the way of Cloud's attack. "Cloud, I… I'm s-sorry, I'm sorry, I just…"

"Tifa, what are you doing out here?" Cloud was still recovering from the fact that he might have nearly killed one of his closest friends. "I thought you were one of the remnants, trying to sneak up on me!"

"I'm sorry," she said again, now that she had recuperated slightly. "I… I just… I knew you wanted to be alone, but… I was worried about you being by yourself, so I… I thought I could just keep an eye on you from a distance, just to be sure that you were all right…" Tifa hung her head slightly. "I'm sorry… to have startled you like that."

Upon hearing Tifa's explanation, however, it completely eradicated the shock Cloud had been feeling, replaced with both his appreciation for Tifa's concern over him and his guilt that he had been hiding yet even more secrets from her. Calming his voice to a much gentler tone to assuage Tifa's feelings, he sheathed his sword in the harness on his back.

"It's all right, Tifa. I'm… the one who should apologize for not realizing it was you, and…" He paused, then continued after rephrasing his thoughts. "So, Vincent told you and Yuffie, then?"

"Yeah, he did…" At the calmness in his voice, Tifa was able to pull herself together and lift herself away from the tree so she could support herself on her own feet, but still felt sheepish nonetheless for having been caught. "Cloud, you don't have to tell me why you didn't tell us, I can understand why. But… do you really think that it's her?"

"…I still don't know." Cloud had to look away then, striding away a distance to look in the direction of the pool. "I want to believe it's her, trying to tell me we need to stay here, and deep down, I can just… I _know_ it's her. But, at the same time, I don't know why she wants us to stay here."

_It's all so very cryptic…_ Tifa didn't quite want to say that of their former companion aloud, though. But, upon having died and becoming the planet's protector, it seemed that Aerith's ways had indeed become mysterious and hard to predict. Then again, to the Ancient's credit, she had always been that way, even when she had been alive… She just wished her intentions would be a lot clearer at a time like this.

"If you're so sure it's her, Cloud, then I'm certain that, whatever reason she has for keeping us here, it'll turn out for the better," she spoke up after a little bit, attempting to assuage Cloud's worries as well as her own. "If it is her, then I can't see her delaying us so that it'll have negative consequences."

Her reassurance seemed to have worked, for Cloud looked back at her, appearing as though he wanted to believe in Tifa's words.

"You're right," he said, turning away again, yet spoke with more confidence in his voice. "Even if Aerith's intentions have never been clear, they have always been for the greater good, I'm sure of that much…" After a short pause, Cloud once again looked at Tifa, actually bearing a small smile. "Let's head back to the pool, though. I don't know why, but I just have a feeling something is finally going to happen there tonight."

That gave Tifa a strange swooping sensation in her stomach, but she disregarded it as she smiled, simply to have seen him smile. "All right, let's go."

So, side by side, the two walked back to the pool's shore. Neither spoke during that short period of time, but without words, they both knew that they were glad for each other's company. Tifa had been concerned that, despite his apology, Cloud wouldn't want her to stay so he could be by himself again. At having been invited to accompany him back to the pool, though, it was greatly elating. In actuality, Cloud was more than grateful that, even if she hadn't been with him, Tifa had chosen to watch over him; he was especially grateful now that she would be at his side.

The moment Vincent had walked away after Cloud had asked him to leave him in solitude, he had realized then what had always been one of his greatest faults. Always, he had chosen to be alone, and often that was because he wanted to fight alone. Whether it was because he never wanted to bother anyone else with his problems, or he stubbornly believed he could do well enough by himself, Cloud had chosen loneliness. From his childhood, Cloud had learned to deal with loneliness. But, the more he thought on how many times in his he had believed solitude to be the only solution, the more he realized just what an idiot he had been to think it would work.

No, Cloud was tired of being alone, of believing that he would always have to fight alone. He wanted to be always assured that his friends would be there to fight alongside him, to fight at his side until the bitter end. The more he thought about it, the more he realized just how much the woman walking beside him had always been there for him, to ensure that he would never have to be alone again…

Thus, by the time they had reached the pool again, taking a seat on its earthen banks, Cloud had never felt so appreciative of her presence right then and there. Glancing at her every so often out of the corner of his eye, he kept getting the urge to tell her how much her presence meant to him, how much _she_ meant to him. He knew it was among the many things he had never told her, and he didn't want to keep her any more in the dark than he already had.

During that long stretch of time as they sat there, however, every time he wanted to tell her, something would hold him back, preventing him from doing so. Yet, he knew that this inability was something he had caused himself, and not created by some supernatural intervention. It was simply hesitance, whether it was because he either felt this wasn't the right moment to tell her something so personal, or he couldn't put together the right words that would do his sentiments justice. Cloud had never been good with words, he knew that much.

But, nonetheless, he wished he could tell her. Silence was something else he had grown tired of. When he had chosen to isolate himself from everyone else once he too had contracted Geostigma, all Cloud had known was silence, only broken upon receiving voicemail from those who had attempted to contact him again and again. Tifa had been the one who had tried calling him the most, wondering where he was, how he was doing, when he would be coming home…

Even so, the words simply would not come, and no matter how hard he tried to fight his hesitance, the silence drew on. Damn it. Why did these things always happen to him? No matter how much he would commit himself to a cause like this, why could he never follow through?

_I'm sorry, Tifa._ Someday, though, he would be ready. He would be able to tell her. But, would that day come too late? If the remnants were hatching some scheme darker than the last and the end of the world was nigh, would that day never come at all?

_Aerith…_ Suddenly, Cloud had never yearned more for the Ancient to appear, or to hear her voice. He had never wanted to know more. _Aerith, whatever it is you're trying to tell us, please, tell us now! Tell us what's happening! Tell us what we need to know._

Then, both he and Tifa saw it. It was like a bright light that seemed to flash across their field of vision, perhaps even within their own eyes. It had happened so quick, neither of them had been able to tell. But, they knew they had seen it. Cloud's head shot up, and Tifa gasped, sitting bolt upright.

"What… What was that?" she asked, immediately getting to her feet and Cloud following suite an instant later. As they both looked around, wary and bewildered, Cloud's hand went to the hilt of his sword, ready to unsheathe it at a second's notice. Yet, he hadn't been glancing around for long before he heard Tifa gasp beside him once more, this time far more pronounced than the last one had been. Quickly, he swiveled his head about to see what Tifa had seen, and instantly forgot his alarm.

"It… Can it… Can it be?" stuttered Tifa, her hands cupped over her mouth in disbelief. "You… saw that too, right?"

Cloud had, but he barely heard her. The moment his eyes had seen what Tifa had seen, a cascade of unexpected emotion had gone through him—he couldn't be sure of what exactly he was experiencing now, whether it was shock or disbelief, joy or elation. All he knew was that, for a few brief moments, he had seen the faint—yet definite—figure across the pool, a being clad in pink striding gracefully up the steps to the temple-like building before disappearing. The moment the image had gone, there was a second of suspended disbelief, and then, in the next instant, Cloud had shot forward, startling Tifa in his immense urgency to reach the opposite shore.

"Aerith!" he cried after the familiar apparition. "Aerith, wait!"

* * *

Silence. Kallie had never known a silence quite as tense or thick as this one. If it got any heavier, she was sure she just might suffocate under its weight.

It wasn't the kind of silence where there was absolutely no noise or sound to be heard. There was plenty going on around them during the countless hours they had been here: the slight shifting of cargo around them with the movements of the airship, the prominent roar of the airship's engine, or the occasional passer-by in the hallway outside the cargo room. One of her comrades would also occasionally shift their position, quiet though it was, for even Yazoo was becoming more restless as time went by.

No, the silence Kallie was referring to was the kind of wordless silence that had often fallen between her and Yazoo in those times they had been alone together, a taciturnity that had gone on so long at this point, it seemed they all had given up on attempting to break it. Not since Kallie had attempted to assuage Yazoo's possible anxiety over finding his mom had any of them spoken, and it was unlike any other of the previous silences that had fallen over the group when they had been traveling together. Those times were different, since they were normally concentrating on where they were headed, as well as keeping an eye out for monsters or other human beings, and often too preoccupied to owe much to a conversation.

But here, there was nothing to preoccupy them, nothing but their shared feelings of anxiety and dread over what was to come. Not only were they all concerned about how they would escape the airship upon landing, but more so of their respective missions in Junon: if Kallie and Aurei could find May and capture Raide, if Loz and Yazoo could finally find Mother and learn what she wanted of them now… Everything that their journey had amounted to was going to be realized in Junon, that much was certain.

Still, Kallie had a strong feeling that Junon wouldn't be the end of the road. Her quest had started out as a rescue mission to recover her cousin, and that was all Kallie wished it would be. All she had wanted was to reunite with May so they could go back to their home in Edge and continue their lives, like none of this had ever happened. Yet, Kallie well knew it was never going to be that easy—if it would ever be possible at all anymore.

The fact of the matter was, Kallie had been dragged into a mess far beyond anything she would have ever imagined. She had to deal with two silver-haired criminals, and the consequences of having allied with them. She had to deal with having an actual father, sister, and a bastard half-brother. She had to deal with having unnatural powers, a disembodied voice in her head, and memories of a distant past that didn't belong to her. She had to deal with Turks, W.R.O., whoever the hell was behind those serpents and wanted her captured… The list of things she had to take care of just went on and on.

Yep, Kallie had certainly wound up in a hell-hole, that was for sure, and she didn't know exactly how she could even begin finding her way out. She was free falling through this hell-hole, and Junon wasn't going to be the bottom of it. Exactly how far down the bottom was, though, she still couldn't see, for it seemed the only thing beneath her was an endless, dark void.

_Listen to me, speaking in metaphors. When did __**I**__ ever used to do that?_ Kallie remarked to herself, almost chuckling out of amusement at just how much she had changed. Maybe it was just the momentous weight of the journey that was inspiring her to wax poetry, but again, it was as if the words were being spoken by that unnamed entity within the materia she possessed.

It was her yearning for answers, however, that had made her realize why the journey wouldn't come to its conclusion in Junon. Even if finding May meant she was home free and could return to Edge immediately after, she knew she still wouldn't be satisfied. She would never rest until all the questions that plagued her mind had been answered, and her thirst for knowledge—for _understanding_—was at last quenched.

She wanted to know how it had happened that, out of all people she could have gone to for aid, Loz and Yazoo had become her allies. She wanted to know why she and her siblings had ended up with these unnatural powers. She wanted to know whose voice it was that she had heard twice now in her head, and whose memories she possessed. She wanted to know why the Turks had been 'given orders' to capture her, and who was behind the summoning of those serpents. There was so much she wanted to know, and she knew the only possible way she would find those answers was if she continued her journey, even if—no, _when_—she was able to rescue May. As much as she wished they could make up for all that time they had been apart, she wasn't going to make her cousin come along if it would put her in harm's way again.

_If only there was a way to get her back to Edge, where she would be safe with someone like Mrs. Eliot or Rika…_ Then again, there was no telling where it would be safe to keep May, should someone attempt to capture her as bait again. The only secure thing to do would be to hide her somewhere, not letting the enemy know where she was.

Maybe if she could at last see Meryl again and tell her everything, she would agree to look after her. Her best friend would be the ideal person for the job, for she would always be understanding and sympathetic of others situations. No matter what, Meryl would understand. She definitely wouldn't handle it like Todd had, anyway.

_Todd…_ Placing her head against her knees in despondency, Kallie had known from the beginning he wouldn't have taken the news well. The fact that he hadn't returned once since he had left made her feel even more anxious about the situation, for she could only imagine what might be going on his head right now. It really didn't seem as though he would betray them, however, or otherwise she and her companions would be above their heads in hot water right now. Todd would have probably been too afraid to do anything that would have upset the remnants anyway.

Was Todd's reaction just going to be a precursor to how others were going to respond to her story? Of all the people who she would tell her story, if she ever got the chance to see them again, Kallie knew that at least Rika and Mrs. Eliot would understand, for they both had had some part in it. Rika had been with her when she had first approached Yazoo in the ruined church about her missing cousin, and Mrs. Eliot had been the one to suggest him as her ally in the first place. And she couldn't forget dear Meryl either, who was always so understanding no matter what the situation…

_Well, I guess it's a good thing that there are at least a few people who'll still accept me after this._ It was a small comfort, one that Kallie welcomed, but still which didn't help out too much in the end. Right now, she was finding that maybe acceptance was going to be the least of her worries.

Everyone in the cargo room felt it when the airship suddenly dipped in altitude, and no one more so than Aurei, who had tightly clutched the edge of the crate, swaying on the spot. Kallie herself could feel the brief weightlessness in her stomach, but luckily if she had gotten sick, at least she wouldn't have had anything in her stomach to throw up. But, to all of them, it was clear that, at last, their descent to land in what would hopefully be Junon had begun.

"Are we… are we going down?" Loz's voice was seemingly small with apprehension.

"It's about time," muttered Aurei through the hand clamped over her mouth again. "I… I don't know how much longer I can keep my stomach down…"

"Whatever happens, just refrain from getting sick before we land in Junon." It was always strange to hear Yazoo speak so unexpectedly after being silent for so long, but even he appeared to be forgetting his usual coldness—something else was on his mind, Kallie could ascertain that much. "If we will ever get off this airship, that is."

None of them responded to that, although Kallie could just sense that everyone was directing their thoughts at her. Not only had she been the one to help them sneak on board the airship, but her friend could be the only one to help them sneak off too—she had assured her companions that he would help them out, after all, and Todd himself had said that he would. Given his reaction after having heard Kallie's story, however, and how abruptly he had left without even so much as a glance back, she had a suspicion that he might have changed his mind.

_Well, I did what I had to… It's just too bad that he had to take it that way._

Because no one had spoken up about any plans for an escape, Yazoo appeared to revert to his usual self as he glared back at all of them. When he spoke, though, his usual air of self-possession was still lacking; he even sounded rather stressed.

"Are we just going to sit here in dumb silence, or are we actually going to think of a way to get out of here?"

"Just run for it." In her current condition, even Aurei wasn't her normal self in being the group's unofficial leader. She had actually stood up from the boxes, but nearly had to fall back against the wall when the ship gave another sway. "It'll probably be best if we all go one at a time, but we'll first have to get out of this room, since the cargo is the first thing they'll be checking once we land."

"But, where can we hide?" Even Loz was aware that there weren't many places for them to conceal themselves in these very open corridors.

"We'll figure that out as we go along." Taking a deep breath, Aurei steadied herself while the airship rocked again. "In fact, should anyone spot us, Loz, I want you to knock them unconscious before they can raise an alarm."

"Is that… really such a good idea?" asked her sister tentatively, only able to think of how close Yazoo might have come to killing Todd in his attempt to incapacitate him. Given how much stronger Loz was than his brother, there was no telling if he would could actually restrain his power enough that he wouldn't accidentally snap their spines or something, if he cared enough at all.

Of course, Loz only seemed to take her reaction as an indication of a lack of faith in him. "I can do it!"

"We're all perfectly certain that you are capable, Loz," said Aurei to clarify. "I believe what Kallie meant is whether or not we should leave a bunch of unconscious soldiers around for their comrades to find. That shouldn't be a concern anymore. As long as we get off this airship while avoiding detection, that's all that matters." She beckoned to Yazoo. "Yazoo, go and check if the coast is clear."

Of course, Yazoo wasn't pleased that anyone would try giving him orders, but apparently didn't seem to be in the mood to defy her. Without protest, he stood and wound his way through the stacks of crates towards the door. Before he had even a chance to press the button to raise the door, however, everyone started when the door suddenly opened for him. Everyone was even more startled though, at the person standing in the doorway, and when Yazoo nearly pulled out his gun to strike the individual down, only to halt a second later when the person cringed with a small cry.

"_Todd!_"

Kallie was so glad to see Todd standing there that she forgot to keep her voice down; in fact, she nearly started laughing. Not only did she feel such relief at the sight of her friend in the doorway, the friend that she thought had abandoned her, but also his reaction at nearly having been struck down again by Yazoo. Her laughter she restrained, however—the situation was still far too serious. Instead, she stepped forward, smiling as Todd regained his bearings.

"Glad to see you weren't gonna ditch me after all." Were the circumstances any different, Kallie would have probably said it in a much more teasing voice, but she was currently more grateful than anything else.

"Sorry 'bout that," he muttered, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, and he truly sounded apologetic. "I didn't wanna believe it at first, all that crazy shit that you said happened to you. I didn't know how to take it. But, you know I know you pretty well, and I knew you weren't trying to pull my leg. 'Sides…" His eyes flickered to the Aurei and the silver-haired brothers. "I'm looking at the proof right now that all that crazy shit did happen."

Aurei didn't appear too game on simply hearing him spill out his regrets, though. "Did you just come to apologize, or can you actually be useful and help us off this ship?"

"Aurei!" Kallie snapped back at her sister, who glared back. Before she had the chance to stand up for Todd, though, he stated his own defense.

"I came back because I think I can help you guys out." Todd had still flinched at Aurei's coldness (he probably still couldn't believe that he was actually talking to Kallie's long-lost sister too). "I didn't wanna come back right away, 'cuz I was with some other crewmembers and I didn't want them getting suspicious about me coming back here."

"Perfectly understandable, but do you have a plan, preferably so we don't have to use the main ramp in order to escape?"

"Yeah… That's also what I was figuring out." Glancing around to ensure that no one was in the area, he cleared his throat before continuing. "I've only been on this ship a few times now, but I know that there's an escape hatch. Usually it can only be employed when there's an emergency, but I'm sure we can get it open without setting off the alarm."

"Will we be able to get to it without any trouble?" Kallie asked, feeling her smile on the verge of becoming a grin.

"I'm sure you'll be able to. I was scouting out the hallways to make sure nobody would be there to give us trouble, and I don't think they will." Todd started to smile back at Kallie, only quickly became somber again as Yazoo gave him a disdainful look. "Might want to hurry up, though, 'cuz we are landing pretty soon."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Suppressing her motion sickness as much as possible, even as the ship was buffeted by yet another bit of turbulence, Aurei strode forward. "Show us the way, Todd. Also, if we do happen to come across anyone, we already discussed how we would… take care of them."

Todd gulped, but didn't comment. "A-all right, then." Just as he was turning away from the group, however, preparing to lead them onward, Kallie quickly stopped him.

"Todd?" As he glanced back, she smiled at him once more, much more meaningfully. "Thanks… for believing in me."

He finally smiled then, almost looking kind of sad and on the verge of telling her something, but was stopped short by another urging from Aurei. Once they stepped out into the corridor, however, and Todd proceeded to guide them to the emergency exit, Kallie was right at his side. If this was the only opportunity they had to see each after being apart for so long, even if they couldn't chat and catch up on old times like Kallie had hoped, then she wanted to spend every second with him for what it was worth—even if it had to be sneaking around an airship as an intruder.

With so many of them attempting to sneak along at once, and in these quiet corridors, their feet sounded so loud despite their efforts to tread as silently as possible. It didn't help that the airship kept lurching as it was brought closer to landing, making them all lose their footing a little bit on occasion, Aurei in particular. There were absolutely no places to use as cover either, so if someone happened to walk into the same corridor as them, they were all screwed. Thus, Kallie kept getting even more paranoid that they were going to unexpectedly run into somebody, especially once they had to go around a corner or came to an intersecting hallway.

What was slightly reassuring, at least, was that Todd had told them most people had taken a seat in lounging areas to avoid being jostled around too much during the airship's landing, not to mention that most probably weren't anticipating any stowaways aboard. Todd himself admitted that he hadn't thought it would be possible for anyone to be able to sneak aboard without being caught, since there were only so many ways on and off the ship. That would certainly be a reason why there were so little security measures around, and how it was actually easier than Kallie had foreseen it.

"Okay, here we go," Todd spoke up finally, coming to a door similar to the one that had led into the cargo room, which also had a button that needed to be pressed in order to allow them access. Once it opened up, they could see a space filled with what Kallie assumed were parachutes hanging in packs from the walls, along with other supplies that would used in case of an emergency. Directly across from them, on the opposite side of the room, was the exit. It had the only window Kallie had yet to see on this ship, with a handle bar beneath it and a security panel right next to the door itself, which Aurei took notice of.

"Do we need security clearance in order to get past?" Although she was clearly doing her best to suppress her motion sickness, their dash across the ship hadn't been easy on her, as she looked paler than ever.

"Yeah, I guess just to make sure nobody opens it by accident, but they taught it to all the personnel on board, so I've got the four-digit code." Todd looked suddenly proud that he had such valuable knowledge that could help them out. "It's nine-three-four-seven."

"Thank you for your assistance, Todd," Aurei said, and her gratitude seemed genuine from the way she looked directly at him, if only fleetingly before glancing back at the emergency exit. "Now, all that has to happen is this damn ship finally landing… I can't wait."

With a slight groan, she followed after Loz and Yazoo, who had already headed inside the room without so much as a glance back at Todd and were all gathering around the exit door in seeming anticipation. Kallie, however, wasn't so hasty to follow, for she was still perpetuating every last moment that she could spend with Todd, as it just might be the last contact that she would have with a friendly face. Todd appeared to sense that as well, since he was equally as reluctant to part with her, especially when they hadn't been together in so long. As the seconds stretched on, they merely stood there, looking at each other, before Kallie smiled sadly.

"See you later, I guess." _I hope._ "I'm sorry that we couldn't… be together longer, as long as we were hoping for, and we couldn't catch up on things, but I think this'll have to do. For now, anyways."

Todd didn't sound like he wanted to believe this might be the last time they would se each other, though. "C'mon, do you really think we're not going to see each other again? Not even once?"

"I…" Regretfully, Kallie turned her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry, Todd, I'm really sorry, but I just don't know. I don't know where this journey is going to take me. I know that there's a shitload of stuff just waiting for me, but I don't know what it all is yet.

"I just… All I know is that I have to get May back and make sure she's safe." There was a ton of other things Kallie wanted to learn and discover besides, but she didn't think Todd would understand, even after having explained everything to him. Kallie wasn't even sure if she had touched upon the fact that another person's memories lived on through her, let alone the notion that she might be turning into someone else altogether.

"…All right," he finally responded, hesitantly, but managed a smile then. "But hey, if you're still alive and kicking, and you're in Junon sometime, ring me up and maybe then we can catch up. You remember my number, right?"

"I sure do!"

At that moment, though, Kallie was suddenly afraid she might have been a bit too loud, for voices and footsteps had sounded somewhere in a nearby corridor. They looked at each other, the reality settling upon them that they had to cut short their goodbye and then part ways, for what could be the last time. Just as it seemed Todd was about to say something, perhaps whisper farewell with a nod before walking away, Kallie knew that there was one last thing she could do.

Without a second thought, she stepped forward and threw her arms around Todd, holding him about the waist as tightly as she could. Her action had seemingly caught him off guard with her swiftness, but it didn't take him long to respond, returning her enfold and pulling her against him. It was nowhere near as intimate as the embraces they used to share during their relationship, but that still didn't lessen its significance.

Should something go wrong today, or anytime soon for that matter, then Kallie wanted to make sure she had held at least one human being before anything happened. Even if the possibility of death or something nearly as bad wasn't imminent, it was just a relief to finally share a moment of empathy with someone—she hadn't hugged anyone since she had bid Mrs. Eliot farewell, the last embrace she had shared before heading out on this suicide mission. Plus… just being in Todd's arms brought about recollections of her former life, bringing back a touch of the sanity she had once known before all chaos had broken loose.

But, reality returned once again with the sound of more distant footsteps, shattering the moment, and so their embrace parted. One more time, they looked meaningfully at the other before both smiled again, and as they stepped back from each, they knew it was finally then that their farewell had come to an end.

"See you later," Todd told her, winking. "And… good luck, Kallie."

Kallie could only broaden her smile to express her immense gratitude, even feeling on the verge of tears as she nodded, waving goodbye as he at last walked away. For a few moments, she could not help but watch him go, before reluctantly turning and heading inside the room, the door closing behind her as she joined the company that suddenly felt so undesirable at the moment. She was grateful that none of them had tried to interrupt her goodbye to Todd, at least, for they were all watching the approaching landscape outside the window.

Looking out the window past her comrades, Kallie did admit that, under different circumstances, the view would have been breathtaking. She never had been able to witness seeing land from high up in the air, and had always wanted to know what it would be like. Even though they weren't at a particularly high altitude now, it was quite amazing that normally tall buildings and expansive fields could appear as though they were merely a part of a model. Plus, there was the ocean, stretching out as far as the eye could see until it vanished into the horizon. The sky, unfortunately, was overcast, with the air that it had just rained or it was about to.

But, all of that was secondary on her mind. As much as she wanted to appreciate this once in a lifetime opportunity to see the world from so high up, all Kallie's eyes could focus on was the sprawling city of Junon below. The destination that they had toiled long and hard to reach was finally here. Her stomach turned over, but it wasn't because of another lurch from the airship.

_Raide… You'd better be there. You'd damn better be there._

* * *

_Well, folks, it looks like the final showdown is almost upon us! Or is it? Just like Kallie said, there are a lot of loose threads that need to be tied up, and we sure won't be able to get to them in this installment of Illusory Flame—that's what the next two volumes are for! :D I'll admit, I was hoping to wrap up Embers by Chapter 25, but as there's still too much that needs to happen, it's gonna take me more than that. Honestly, though, I think that this installment will conclude before it reaches thirty chapters, and man I hope so, because I really don't want to draw this out anymore than I need to. XD_

_So, I'm sure a lot of you have noticed by now that I rant a lot in these author's notes about being overworked and not having as much time as I'd like to work on chapters. Some might ask, "Why not just take a break?" To be honest, I have considered that many times at this point, and it would certainly take a bit of weight off my shoulders, at least for a short while. _

_At the same time, though, I really don't want to. Working my ass off to churn out a chapter every month has become like an addiction; I'm also concerned that, if I do take a break for even a month, I might become too comfortable with not working at all and lose motivation altogether. I know this from experience, and after so many failed attempts to write a story, I've come too far at this point to let that happen. Plus, all the support and feedback I've gotten from you guys, the readers, is more than enough to fuel my motivation. :D_

_Wow, for some strange reason I really have felt the need to just rant and rant about the goings-on of the past month. Guess that's another sign of how overworked I've been, lol. So yeah, I know I do complain a lot about having too much work to do, but really, it's nothing I can't handle. I think I can be safely classified as a workaholic, because I actually enjoy working and feeling productive—I'm rarely ever bored anymore, ha ha. _

_That be it for now. Leave me your usual wonderful reviews and I shall see you next month, with hopefully fewer complaints about being an overworked college student. XD_


	24. The Hunt Begins

_Hey, look, I'm actually updating at a reasonable time in the month! Despite its length (yep, we're back to long chapters again, yay!), I was able to finish it sooner than I had expected, so I'm deciding it post it earlier than I thought I would just in case FF dot net is going to be mean again and not send out the email notification when I updated, like they did last month! I think it might have been because of that that not so many people reviewed, but whether or not that was the case, I'm not going to hold it against you guys, cuz I understand everyone has their reasons for not reviewing. Besides, this chapter's gonna be much, MUCH more exciting than the last, so maybe then that'll garner a review or two more. ;)_

_Another reason I was able to get this done sooner, I think, is because this month has been so much less stressful than the last, yay! Even though I am pretty much approaching finals time in college, since they start next week for me, they're not really causing me that much stress. Besides, I'm just bouncing with joy at the fact that I'll be done with freshman year of college and be going home in two weeks, HUZZAH! I'm especially excited about this summer because there are so many things I've been wanting to get to that I haven't been able to tackle during college, and I just have a lot of exciting stuff planned anyway. (Plus, I'll be able to devote a LOT more time to __Illusory Flame__. :D )_

_I think that's about everything for now, so sit back and enjoy this chapter that didn't take so much stress to write this time! XD_

**IGNIS FATUUS: EMBERS**

**Chapter 24**

_The Hunt Begins_

_Well, Junon… didn't think I'd ever have to see you again._

In having returned to Junon, in some ways it did feel like Raide was greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in a while. Or rather, an old enemy. Of course, it wasn't as if he hadn't been in Junon before, as he had to pass through here on his way from Gongaga, and it had been here where he had acquired his motorcycle in the first place. As it had to have been stolen, though, he hadn't had much option other than to leave it in a hidden spot outside of the city after he and May had stopped on its outskirts. It was also just in case he had to use it again, but quite frankly, he hoped he would never ever have to—just like he hoped to never have to visit this shithole again.

_At least I don't have to walk in the shitty slums again_. Right now, he was actually getting to walk in the nicer streets of Junon, where the middle class and the fat cats got to live, though there were probably fewer of the latter now. In fact, he had heard that, due to Meteorfall and the decline of the economy, the chasm had lessened between the wealthy and the poor—even the filthy water that the slums had been forced to thrive off of for so long had cleared, due to the fact that mako was no longer in use. Not like he was ever going back there to see for himself, though.

Raide was aware that perhaps, while he was searching for the right ferry to get him away from this place, he shouldn't be in the middle class area of Junon. With he and May being as travel worn as they were, in their dirtied clothes and wearied expressions, they would have fit in just right with the slums crowd. Not here, where they stood out like a couple of sore thumbs amid such a nicely dressed scene, and had already caused a few heads to turn in their direction. If that half-sister of his ever arrived here and started asking around about her cousin, then somebody would be likely to remember them.

_But, she ain't catching up_, Raide reassured himself, smugly. _There ain't nothin' to worry about anymore. I made sure of that much. _

Except, if he could actually get out of here, which was proving to be the biggest difficulty right now. Two years ago, when Junon's marine business had been thriving, finding a ferry here would have been no trouble at all, but Raide guessed that having cleaner water didn't mean Junon's marine businesses would fare much better. Not without their precious mako, anyway, the only thing that could run so many vessels at once. With mako having completely diminished at this point, everybody had had to revert back to oil and other shit like that, and hell knew how many vehicles had been developed to operate on such a neglected resource.

_I __**know**__that there's at least one that's running._ That was how he had first arrived in Junon in the first place, with the help of his boss. But, even though he had no idea when the hell he would be able to come to Junon again, Raide realized now it probably would have been wise to get a schedule or something. It was still early in the day, and he wanted to get out of here as fast as humanly possible.

Suddenly, there was a small gasp from May as the young girl stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk, only prevented from falling completely because of the tight grip Raide had on her hand, which he had kept ever since they had arrived in Junon. Not only was this to ensure that May wasn't going to run off on him, but also because Raide wanted to ensure that the two of them didn't come off as looking suspicious together, to not alert others of the fact that they were truthfully kidnapper and captive. Thus, the best front was to appear like they were family as much as possible, assisted by the fact that they were already technically one. It had been working well so far, and would continue to be put to the test when May's near-fall had caught the attention of a passing man.

"Is she all right?" he asked with apparent genuine concern, looking at the young girl, who briefly returned his gaze but said nothing, dropping her eyes right back down again.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, sir," Raide replied, with as sincere a smile as he could manage to hide his distrust of the man, as well as his worry that he might have seen through their guise. "We've just been travelin' a while, that's all. It's been pretty rough on her."

"I would say so," the man remarked, now taking a hard, close look at the two of them, making Raide warier than ever. "It looks like the both of you have had a difficult journey. I apologize if I am prying, but whatever would bring you to endure such hardships?"

From the man's way of speaking, as well as his simple yet nice clothing, Raide was starting to tell that he was most likely a high class individual, heightening his already existing dislike of the man. He was both wealthy and middle-aged, two of many things he despised to see in a person. As much as Raide wished he could spit at the man's feet and tell him to mind his own business, he continued to conceal his contempt behind a forced pleasant expression and a polite tone of voice.

"We've been tryin' to go see some relatives who're livin' in Gongaga. We're here in Junon 'cuz a ferry's the only way we can get there. Know when the next one's leavin', sir?"

"I do, as a matter of fact." The man nodded towards the harbor area, where various ships could be seen coming in and one, as well as ones that were simply docked in the waters. "Though I'm unsure as to the exact time, there is one departing in about four or five hours. It will be the only one that is leaving today, in fact, so I would say that you arrived at the right time."

_The only one today, huh…?_ Raide would agree that he had indeed arrived at the right time, yet still wished it could be departing much sooner than four or five hours. What an asshole this guy was anyway, thinking he was being helpful by claiming to know when a ferry would be leaving but not really knowing the exact time. As usual, though, Raide hid it all as he once more smiled and nodded in half-hearted appreciation.

"Thanks for the info, sir. That's all I needed to know."

"You're welcome." The man was already beginning to walk away, just like Raide had expected. "If that is all, then I wish the best of luck to both of you."

Merely waving a hand in farewell, Raide started heading in the opposite direction, towards the harbor that the man had indicated. If the man was correct about the ferry's departure, four or five hours was a long time to kill, but there was nowhere else Raide would rather be here in Junon. Even when the waters had been filthy, being down near the shore in the slums area had been the only place where Raide had actually had a good time in his childhood, playing with the other filthy kids his age, watching the ships come and go, and talking with the fishermen on occasion. They were perhaps the only older adults Raide had ever respected; they all shared the same hardships from living in the slums. It was perhaps the only urge he ever had to revisit his childhood home, just to see how they were all doing in this reformed world.

But, that urge was miniscule compared to his vow to never lay eyes on that shithole again. Raide had promised to himself that he would never look back, that he would leave that life behind even when hell itself froze over.

"Y'know, May, it'd really might be a good thing if ya just let me carry you on my back," he told the girl in an undertone, when there weren't so many people on the sidewalk with them. "Ya really ain't in much of a good condition to be walking around."

As usual, the girl just shook her head stubbornly. "Kallie's the only one who can carry me."

It was one of the few times May had spoken during the past couple of days when Raide had been hastening their trip to Junon, and it was sure a relief to him when she did speak, otherwise he'd believe that she might have gone mute. It was as if the girl had completely given in to the notion that her cousin would never rescue her, and had given up all hope that they would ever be reunited. The journey had taken a big toll on her, much bigger than it had on him, and more mentally and emotionally than physically.

Once more, Raide had to wonder whether or not this was really the best way to get her back to the boss. They needed her, as he had been told, but what good would she be if there was nothing left of her to use? Yet, if there was anything Raide could have done differently, he knew it was really too late at this point—they would be back in Gongaga before they knew it. Maybe that was a bit of news that could cheer up little May, telling her that this journey of theirs was almost over.

"If it makes ya feel any better," he said to her, trying to muster a brotherly tone. "I'd say that we're getting close to your new home in Gongaga. Just a bit more of road traveling once we reach the other mainland, I think, but I promise you ain't ever gonna have to sleep outside again."

To his disappointment, however, his words had the opposite effect. A mere few shreds of defiance the girl might have, but boy were they still tough: she stopped right there on the sidewalk, not budging once even when he tugged gently, yet firmly, on her hand again. Internally, he sighed—was this girl ever going to accept the fact that she wasn't going to see her cousin ever again? Judging by her current act of defiance, Raide was guessing no.

"N-no, Edge is…" she muttered, through increasingly clenched teeth. "Edge is… the only place I'll ever, ever call home. Kallie's the only person I'll ever, ever be happy with…" A choked sob suddenly rose to the surface of her voice. "I-I don't care if I sleep on the ground again, just as long as I'm with Kallie… that's all I want. That's all I want!"

Furthering Raide's dismay, one tear happened to slip down her cheek moments before she broke down like she hadn't in days. Attempting to appear as brotherly as possible, for they were already attracting a few curious, concerned stares, Raide knelt down in front of her and tried his best to console her so she would shut up, but the girl only tried to pull herself away from him.

A pang of alarm then suddenly struck his heart, something he hadn't felt since he had seen those visions of his half-siblings and realized how close they might be to catching up. May seemed only seconds away from screaming out to the crowd that she was being kidnapped, only seconds from completely blowing his cover and ultimately ruining every drop of effort he had put into this mission to ensure its success. Thus, he was thus only seconds away from reaching for his magic materia, to put the girl to sleep before she created any more of a scene than she was making right now…

"May…" he growled to her, preparing to make his final warning, and then the miraculous occurred.

It was a sudden flash of blue-light white—not very bright, but the mere unexpectedness of it was such that May was shocked out of crying and Raide flinched. The light had been so quick, he wondered for a brief second if he had imagined it, until he just as quickly realized May must have seen it too. They actually looked at each other, bewildered as to what it had been, and then they saw it again, this time without question: a ribbon of blue-white light, dancing on the ground around their feet until it once more faded away.

_That's…_ Had it not been so quick the first time, Raide would have instantly recognized that light. _That's boss's magic!_ But, what the hell could she want with him at a time like this?

Even as he glanced about to see where that light had gone, it reappeared as a fleeting image once more, yet this time it darted like a swift snake down the empty sidewalk before vanishing. Then it did it once more, further along the on sidewalk, appearing and disappearing again in an instant. But, Raide didn't need that third time to know what that blue-white light meant—he had already leapt to his feet, grabbing May by the wrist and pulling her along in pursuit of the light.

Without explanation, he raced after the light, trying not to go so fast that May wouldn't be able to keep up, while at the same time ignoring the urgency to run full throttle so as not to lose the light. Though there were people that he had to dodge around, thankfully there weren't so many that they weren't a hindrance, and though their heads did turn as Raide ran past, strangely enough no one appeared to take notice of that light.

_That's definitely her magic, no doubt 'bout it! But, I ain't never seen her use it like this before…_ She was leading him somewhere too, without a question, but where, and for what purpose? He had found a way to be out of Junon by this afternoon, so for what reason would she be guiding him in this direction?

Whatever that reason happened to be, Raide had a feeling he would find out soon enough, for the light suddenly made a sharp turn into an alleyway, and he followed with May in tow. The moment he turned the corner, though, Raide had to come to a screeching halt, causing May to bump into his leg and making her stumble back a bit, as he had just seen the light zip away before abruptly disappearing.

"Damn it," Raide muttered under his breath, and though he quickly came to realize that the boss didn't need to direct him any further, if this was the place to be, he couldn't see anything of great importance here.

Exhaling deeply, taking the opportunity to slow down so both he and May could catch their breath, especially the latter, Raide cautiously began to stride forward, unsure of what to be expecting. It just looked like a plain old alleyway, filled with garbage, weeds, and graffiti, yet he was starting to get the sense that something _was_ here—there was no denying the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. Beside him, it seemed May was getting the same vibes: amid her panting, he could hear the occasional whine as well, and her grip actually tightened on his hand.

"Raide…?" she unexpectedly asked after a few tense moments had gone by, her voice small and quivering with fear. "Why… Why're we here?"

Before Raide could give any sort of reply, however, he suddenly tensed when the sound of approaching footsteps were heard. They were quiet, but still discernible, and coming from down the alleyway itself, around a corner between the adjacent buildings. Being unable to see the person who approached made him apprehensive, and he actually placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, preparing for confrontation. It was only just one set of footsteps, obviously belonging to only one person, but… could it be possible? Was this the reason why boss's magic had led him down here?

_No… Kallie __**can't**__ have caught up already!_ If that was the case, then he might as well have a preemptive strike!

That opportunity seemed to be in the following instant, when the approaching individual turned the corner, and Raide made to swiftly draw his sword, now that they were finally in his sight. But, the next thing he knew, there was a sudden flash of blue-white light beside him, and heard May gasp in surprise, although was almost too late to realize that she was about to collapse beside him. Hurriedly stooping, Raide managed to catch the girl just before she hit the ground, and was startled to find that she had fallen unconscious: her eyes were closed, and her body was limp in his arms.

While he was immensely taken aback, dumbfounded at how quickly it had all happened, Raide had already begun to piece two and two together. Looking up at the person as they continued to walk towards him, he at last could fully perceive exactly who it was, and it only deepened his disbelief.

"_Boss?_" His voice nearly croaked from his astonishment. "W-what the _hell're_ doing here?"

* * *

They had made it, they had finally made it, and they weren't just hovering above the city itself in the airship—their feet were all on terra firma, on a damp backstreet in Junon. Only moments ago, it seemed, the airship had been preparing to alight on a landing platform; before it could fully touch down, Yazoo had punched in the code for the emergency exit and the door had opened right up without so much as a creak. They had then proceeded to jump the ten-foot drop to the ground, a distance that was barely an issue to Kallie anymore, and then in the next instant they were making a run for it.

None of them looked back once as they dashed away from the landing site, as fast as they possibly could before any W.R.O. personnel might spot them. Even once it seemed they were far enough away from the site that they were home free, they did not stop, until they had reached the quiet, desolate street that they currently stood in, an area devoid of any life with only the sounds of the city off in the distance. It all seemed like they were simply standing there, absorbing the novel environment and the sheer significance of where they were now that they had arrived at this destination, yet their thoughts were all the same.

"Well… what now?" It wasn't a question that she was aiming at any one of them in particular to answer, as Kallie knew the same thing was on all their minds. She just might as well be the first to speak up about it, since she had a feeling that no one else would.

"Now, we find Raide," Aurei replied, though still appeared slightly ill. "But first—"

Suddenly, she lurched forward yet again, abruptly clutching her mouth before she immediately whirled around towards the nearest wall and retched. Her entire body shuddered in an evident attempt to keep her stomach down and not vomit its contents everywhere; most fortunately, her will won out, but it left her weary and leaning heavily against the wall with one arm, groaning.

"Y'know, it might just be better to barf it all up," Kallie suggested, putting her hands on her hips with concern. "You'd feel a lot better, I think."

"Easy for you to say," her sister grumbled back with a glare, straightening up again. She probably wondered how she could have gotten airsick, but not her sister. "I'd prefer to keep everything in my stomach, thank you."

Raising her hands slightly in a gesture of apology, Kallie then turned to the brothers. "How about you guys? You still gonna go look for your mom?"

"Of course we are," Yazoo answered stiffly, looking around everywhere but in her direction. Likewise, Loz was doing the same, though appeared to be even more out of it. "And I have decided that you and your sister are perfectly capable of finding your half-brother on your own."

"Gee, thanks for letting us have a say." In spite of her sarcasm, though, Kallie knew that that was what Yazoo would have wanted to do from the beginning. She couldn't argue with it anyway, as she herself had declared that she wanted to face off against Raide alone, just to prove that she no longer had such a long way to go anymore.

"Don't worry, I am sure that we can handle Raide ourselves," Aurei spoke up reassuringly, more so to Kallie as she stood again at her side. "He may have appeared to be a formidable opponent, but he probably isn't any stronger than I am. Unless, of course, he has received extra power from his leader, which I highly doubt."

"If those damn serpents show up again, it is gonna make things tougher," remarked Kallie irritably. "But, they might create more of a problem for you guys, if they're summoned on you."

"And we will know how to handle them, now that we know their weakness." To emphasize his point, Yazoo raised an arm, allowing his materia to shine for a brief moment. "I doubt that they will appear for us anyway; it seems that it is _you_ they're after, girl."

"I wouldn't be too sure. We don't know what this unknown adversary of ours wants."

"Very true," agreed Aurei. "I would still advise that the two of you proceed with caution. Before you go, however, I would like to know if you will return to us, once you have found your mother."

"That remains uncertain." Already, Yazoo had begun to turn away. "From this point on… nothing is certain."

And that was it. There wasn't even so much as a goodbye or a wishing of good luck, like Kallie had expected anything less of them. As if nothing had ever happened between them, as if they had never known the sisters before, as if the sisters hadn't been there all along, Loz and Yazoo were walking off. Their departure was so abrupt, so sudden, Kallie was taken aback, yet the longer she watched them go, the more a sense of great sadness washed over her.

_So then… is that it?_

It just didn't feel right, to have them depart on such an unresolved note. There was the slim chance that this wasn't the end, yes, but even Yazoo admitted that everything from this point on was uncertain. In Yazoo's book, that probably meant that they would never see each other again. But, that was all good, wasn't it? That was just what she had been begging for since the beginning, right, to never have anything to do with those freaks again?

_But, still… _Kallie couldn't believe she was thinking this. _I don't want them to go. I don't want __**him**__ to go…_

To have Yazoo simply walk away like this, barely glancing in her direction once and leaving her with only a few harsh, cold words, left Kallie with a strange emptiness inside of her. Her yearning for him to stay was so unexpectedly strong that she was filled with the temptation to make him acknowledge her presence at least one more time, even if it wasn't a farewell. In her hesitation and indecision, though, she held back, reinforced not only by her confused feelings, but also by the change that she was observing in them right now.

Kallie couldn't say that she knew exactly when the change had started to take place, yet it was still something that she had become gradually aware of as their flight had progressed towards Junon. It had been plain as day, in the midst of that thick, silent tension which had fallen between them all. But, while she had noticed that even Yazoo was acting anxious back in the airship, she doubted that she would have ever guessed that this kind of change would have occurred in them, and that change was something that actually rather frightened her, for she realized then that she had seen this change before.

_It's just like back in the Mythril Mines, when Yazoo nearly killed that Turk…_ While she hadn't even been there to witness the scene, only listening to his threats from afar, it was perhaps one of the most terrifying things that had ever happened to her. In that moment, she knew Yazoo had been guided by only one sole objective: to locate his mother no matter what the costs were, all with a frightening, single-minded ruthlessness.

The circumstances were much different now, thank goodness, but she could tell that their current mindset—both of them—was no different than it had been then. When Yazoo had uttered that last sentence to them, his voice had been so distant that, aloof and indifferent though he normally was, it was unbecoming even of him. If anything, she would have expected Loz to be much likelier to say something before he left, given just how attached he had been to both her and Aurei. Yet, he had barely said a word since they had made their escape from the ship, and even now he had only glanced back at them once with a strangely blank expression before turning away completely.

_It's not like I should've expected anything less of them…_ It was only fitting that a couple of freaks like them would be walking away like this, acting like they were completely different people in a completely different world.

Then, they were gone. After having walked only a few paces, they both leapt one after the other to the top of a nearby building and vanished from her sight. She stood there for half a minute longer, as if waiting to see just one more glimpse of them, but they never reappeared.

Sighing, Kallie glanced over at her sister, wondering if Aurei could possibly be feeling the same way at all. As she should have expected, though, Aurei was acting like she barely cared at all whether or not they were going to stay with them. Or at least, she was doing her best to pretend like she didn't care at all, and was simply doing a better job at it than Kallie was. Well, that was just typical of Aurei too—it really just hit her what a delightful group of companions she had been traveling with this entire time. Now, though, Kallie could sense things were going to get interesting, for she was just going to be with her sister from this point onward, and possibly that half-brother of hers as well.

_And maybe May too… __**Definitely**__ May too._ The thought of at last rescuing her cousin, the one objective that had been guiding her to this city, rejuvenated her anxiousness to get a move on and finally do what she had come here to do.

"Well, now that _they're_ gone, let's get started searching already." Her declaration might not have been said with the greatest enthusiasm, but the intent eagerness was there nonetheless as Kallie turned to Aurei. "Got any ideas where we should start? How were we thinking of finding that bastard anyway?"

Aurei, who had also been watching the silver-haired brothers until they were gone from sight, had presently turned her gaze elsewhere, training it upon nothing in particular. It was hard to tell whether or not she was simply tired, still sick, being pensive or thoughtful, or all of the above. She still didn't look at Kallie when she responded either.

"Attempting to simply comb the entire city from top to bottom would be fruitless, obviously. Not only is Junon enormous, perhaps larger than Edge, it has two separate levels, the city above and the slums below, and he could be in either of them. Surmising as he grew up in the slums, however, it would be more likely that he would be there.

"At the same time, though, he might be trying to escape from Junon rather than hide away here, so he might also be somewhere near the harbor, trying to find a ferry out of here. If that's the case, then it's possible he might have slipped away already."

"Great. Fantastic. We have absolutely no idea where the hell he and May are after all." Her voice was thickly underlined with sarcasm, which turned to indignation as Kallie furiously rounded on her sister. "What the _hell_, Aurei? Are you saying that, all this time, we came here to Junon for _nothing?_ You were so damn positive that he'd be here, that we'd be able to find him here, and now you're saying that he could be a hundred miles away by now! I thought you knew, Aurei! I thought you knew how the hell we could find him!"

"I never said that," Aurei replied coolly, now staring intently back at Kallie's enraged glare. "I never said that we would be able to find him easily either."

"Then this _is_ a big goddamn waste of our time!"

"No, it isn't, but I'll tell you what _is_ wasting our time. Standing there, shouting senselessly at me, isn't going to help us find Raide or our cousin any faster."

Rather than placate Kallie, though, it only served to touch yet another nerve in her. "Then_ what_ will? That's just the thing with you, Aurei, you don't tell me a single goddamn thing! All the time, _all the damn time_, you keep me in the dark, and I'm so sick of it! There's a shitload of things you didn't tell me in the past, and I know that there's a shitload of things you aren't telling me now! But I want you to start telling me things! I want you to start giving me some answers, and I want you to start now!"

The fact that Aurei kept staring back at her, barely seeming to give a damn about any of them, made Kallie seethe even more with rage. But, just when she was about to start off on another tirade, Aurei's eyes narrowed before she sighed.

"I was hoping that, being with Yazoo, you might have learned a few lessons in patience, yet I can see you still need to keep your anger in check. Personally, I think I tell you plenty of things, everything that you've needed to know so far, but if you want me to tell you even more, then I will."

The next thing Kallie knew, a great force slammed into the back of her shins, knocking her legs out from underneath her and causing her to pratfall right to the ground. Thoroughly startled, then even further incensed when she realized Aurei had kicked her, Kallie furiously tried to stand, yet a cold hand was instantly smacked onto the top of her head, forcing her back down onto the cracked asphalt.

"Hey! Aurei, what—?"

Again, Kallie tried to resist her, but not only was her sister still incredibly strong, her grip was as frigid as ice, and almost gave Kallie a brain freeze. Even when Aurei swayed slightly, apparently still feeling ill, her grasp wouldn't slacken long enough for her to escape. Plus, the biting words Aurei had to say next also helped to rid Kallie of her motivation to break free, for they made her realize just how stupid and childish her ranting had been.

"You disappoint me, Kallie. I thought you had come so far in the short time since we've left Kalm, and though I suppose your powers have, your ability to control your emotions is still lacking."

"Maybe I don't wanna become a blank, emotionless slate, how about that?" Kallie's voice was a growl, but soon subsided. "I'm just… It's just that, after all of this, I just wanna finally find May, and it's just so _frustrating_ that—"

Kallie was cut short, however, as she cried out when Aurei tightened her grip on her head; she was actually grabbing her hair as well, which was the most painful part about it.

"That is no excuse, Kallie, and you know it. You know better than to lose your temper and leave your rationality by the wayside, _especially_ when May is at stake. Am I correct?"

Though Kallie did not openly admit that her sister did, in fact, have a point, she nonetheless groaned, letting out a deep sigh. Of course she would have brought May into this to make her listen…

"Also, while I know that you want to find Raide and defeat him out of revenge for kidnapping May, you cannot let your anger get the better of you in combat. It will only serve to blind you, and then you will be the one to lose."

Once more, Kallie's response and admittance to Aurei's point was more or less the same as the first, only she had already known her anger would be her downfall against Raide. It had proven to have been so once before, when she had confronted him after he had kidnapped May and he had easily put in her in her place.

_And then, a second time, in that dream…_ More like a nightmare, really. But, even if it hadn't actually happened, Kallie still knew the circumstances would have been plausible. The nightmare had been a warning to her, she was sure of that much now, particularly because of that voice that had intervened halfway through. The more she thought about that voice, though… was it really something that she was hearing in her head? Did it really have anything to do with her powers, for that matter? Aurei had never mentioned hearing a voice before, although then again, it just might be among the many things that she had yet to mention.

"Kallie, are you listening to me?"

"…I am." Now wasn't the time to be thinking about this, she knew. Hopefully, if she lived through the encounter with her long-awaited foe, she would find out the answer to that—Kallie was just going to have to be patient. _I guess I thought I learned __**that**__ already, at least a little… but it's still not enough._

"Sorry, Aurei," Kallie finally said when a short while had gone by in silence. "I'm sorry for behaving like such a brat. You're right, I really thought I had learned how to control my temper, but I guess that's still a work in progress. There's no excuse for just losing it like that."

A few more moments went by in silence as Aurei considered her sister's apology, and then her grip slackened before completely letting go of Kallie's hair.

"Apology accepted, Kallie. Now then… what is it that you want me to tell you?"

"Well, exactly _where_ the hell Raide is would be an excellent thing to know, but obviously we're not getting into that again. So then, all I really want to know is… Even though finding Raide here in Junon might be difficult, it'll _still_ be possible, right?"

"Of course it will be."

At that, Kallie nearly forgot herself again and almost started snapping at Aurei, but managed to keep her excitement in check. Taking a deep breath to get a hold of her temper, she asked, "Then, how? Please, Aurei, can you please tell me?"

"You didn't even have to ask. Had you behaved yourself and been patient with me, I would have told you sooner anyway."

Kallie had to restrain a sigh and the urge to retort, but said nothing, remembering her patience.

"Very well. I'll tell you."

Aurei then strode around Kallie until she stood in front of her, and Kallie, thinking that her sister wanted to talk to her more directly, made to get to her feet again, but was commanded to stay put.

"Being seated is the best way for this to work, as I've discovered in the past. Now, get in the most comfortable position as you can, and then close your eyes."

_What, are we doing yoga now?_ Again, however, Kallie withheld her retort and, in fact, berated herself again for questioning Aurei's instructions that could help find Raide. Shifting herself until she sat cross-legged on the ground, Kallie took another deep breath and closed her eyes, attempting to relax as much as she could, which she was sure Aurei wanted her to do.

"Good. Now then, clear your mind, Kallie, and extend your consciousness, much like you do when accessing your powers. In this case, however, I don't want you to just reach inside of yourself, into the core of your being. Reach out beyond yourself, beyond your consciousness and your own body, into that realm which you have never looked into before… until you can sense my power."

Unintentionally, that broke Kallie's focus, as her eyes popped open, looking incredulously up at Aurei. "What, you mean…?"

"Do it already," commanded Aurei softly, though forcibly, and Kallie immediately bowed her head again, closing her eyes once more.

_Reach beyond myself, huh, into a realm I've never seen before…_ In some ways, though, Kallie felt as if she had already entered into that kind of a realm before. A realm that didn't exist here, or there, or anywhere in the physical world for that matter, and yet, it felt as though it existed all around her, just in another plane of existence that she had only been able to access when that voice would speak to her. Was that really the place that Aurei spoke of? It seemed like it would be the most likely place.

_Now, reach until I can feel Aurei's power in that realm._ That, however, was something Kallie was sure she had never felt or done before, attempting to feel out Aurei's or Raide's powers by sixth sense alone. Other than the biting cold Kallie would occasionally feel around Aurei, that was the closest she had been to ever actually sensing what her power felt like on a metaphysical level, and she sure as hell hadn't feel Raide's before. In her immense curiosity to discover what it all felt like, however, Kallie dove back into herself, and yet attempting to reach out beyond herself as Aurei had instructed.

_First, reach into myself._ That step was easy enough, as Kallie had come close to mastering accessing her powers consciously, although admittedly had never tried delving in this deep before. Several seconds of concentration later, her focus was almost broken when she was unexpectedly engulfed in powerful waves of heat, an overwhelming warmth that surged throughout her entire being.

As startling as it was, however, just as quickly she began to bask in the warmth, for Kallie had quickly realized that this was something she had felt before—she had experienced this many times before. Yet, now that she was here, in the hearth of her own soul, it had never felt so friendly or comfortable, like resting in a hot bath or being wrapped in a swath of warm blankets. After all the pain and strife that she had endured thus far, it felt so rejuvenating to be in this place, a feeling so wonderful that she thought she could remain here forever, and she wished that she could—but, she just as well knew that that wasn't possible.

_I have to find Raide… I have to reach beyond myself if I wanna do that._

Reluctantly, but adamantly, Kallie forced herself to leave her place of comfort behind. Instead, she made to take the next step in Aurei's instructions, reaching into a realm beyond the space that was hers. Fortunately enough, that part came far more easily than she had expected, although at the same time, she encountered the strangest sensation. While she knew that her eyes were closed, it was as if a second pair of eyes had opened in her mind, for she could actually 'see' the void that Aurei had spoken of.

This new vision, though, didn't have quite the greatest clarity, because while she could 'see' the new realm around her, everything was a giant blur. Not that there was much to 'see' to begin with, as all Kallie could perceive at the moment were the brilliant swaths of various shades of yellow and orange swirling around her, and mere glimpses of the dark void beyond. Yet, she wasn't sure if she wanted her sight to be improved, for she already knew what was in that void: an endless abyss, an ocean of nothing but abstract forms and unnamable energies that she feared would crush her if she tried to step beyond her warm haven.

That was, until her vision suddenly cleared just a little bit more, and she could perceive something new in her surroundings, something that lay directly ahead of her. It had been hard at first to distinguish it from the brilliance that surrounded her, but now she could faintly 'see' a different colored luminosity; upon 'moving' forward, away from herself, Kallie could actually 'see' that it was a blue light. Though it didn't appear to grow any clearer the closer she drew to it, she quickly came to realize that, not only did this light happen to be really close, but the amount of energy it emitted was simply massive at this close range. Only, once she 'stepped' even closer and felt a draft of coldness, like stepping in front of an open fridge, did Kallie realize exactly what this anomaly was.

_Is that… __**Aurei**__?_

The sudden revelation startled her so much that, this time, she really did lose focus, and was thrust back into the real world. It was really as if she was thrust back, though, for she found herself leaning back, her hands supporting her from behind as if someone had just pushed her—it certainly felt like someone had done so. Rubbing her eyes, shaking her head slightly to rid it of her disorientation, she took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Holy shit," she murmured, staring past Aurei as she assessed the full scope of what she had just experienced. "I… I think I did it."

"And that you did," Aurei confirmed for her, though looked a bit ruffled as she dusted off her dress. "Do be careful next time you do that, however. Your entire body went aflame and nearly set me on fire."

Starting a little, Kallie then did notice the slight steam that was rising all around her; looking down, she saw Aurei wasn't kidding, for she now sat upon a dry patch of pavement, from which all the nearby dampness must have evaporated.

"Yikes, sorry about that." Yet, that was a bit of a disappointment to Kallie, if it meant she could never visit that place of warmth and comfort again. Then again, such a place wouldn't be nice if she returned to the real world and found that she had inadvertently burned a house to the ground or started a forest fire.

"I did mean for you to begin practicing this earlier, but of course, other issues got in the way. It is reassuring to see that you were able to get the hang of it so quickly, although I doubt that you weren't able to sense very far."

"No, not really… But man, that was _weird._ What was that place, Aurei?"

"Although I have visited it many times since I first learned about it, I'm not sure myself. It simply seems to be a dimension that parallels the Lifestream, yet on which our consciousnesses are able to connect. It is only once we delve into our consciousness that we are able to access it, after all."

"Yeah, I could definitely sense you, but it was like I could see you too." Kallie then sighed dismally. "I don't think I could sense Raide at all, though…"

"I would be surprised if you did. Distance in this world plays a part in that plane too, as you probably saw."

"Then, he really is nowhere to be found around here, if I couldn't sense him…"

"I, however, was able to sense him somewhere nearby."

"You were able to—wait, _what?_" As Aurei was no longer attempting to hold her down, Kallie immediately sprung to her feet, feeling the familiar sense of urgency wash over her, though even more strongly than before. "Hold on just one sec! He's here? He really is _here?_ Where? Where the hell is he!"

"_Kallie_," Aurei cried, holding out a hand to subdue Kallie's eagerness. "Again, contain yourself, and let me explain a little more. Yes, while you were in that extrasensory realm, so was I, and I could feel him, on the very edge of my range."

"The edge of your range…?"

"How far I am able to sense either you or Raide. As I am sure you 'saw', your vision there seemed very limited. Only time and practice can help you broaden that field of vision, though you will not be able to see very far. Throughout my seven years of training, I diligently exercised this ability, and even after all of that my range is only a mile or so.

"While I'm thinking of it, I should also warn you that a mile is as far as you should go. If you go too far, you can actually risk an accidental separation between the mind and the spirit. I should know, as it nearly happened to me when I first thought I had mastered the technique a few years ago, and attempted to find both you and Raide with it. That nearly became one of the biggest mistakes I ever made."

"Yeesh. Well, thanks for the warning." _So, that's how she knew where I was when I was entering Kalm's outskirts…_ In truth, though, all Kallie cared about was that Aurei had actually been able to sense Raide here, and she was absolutely certain of it. "So, if you could sense him on the edge of your range, and that's a mile or two, then he's definitely gotta be here in Junon." A smirk then crept across her features. "And you were saying that finding him would be difficult! C'mon, just point out where you sensed him and let's find that bastard already!"

"Kallie," said Aurei again, just when Kallie was about to march determinedly away. "I still haven't said that finding him would be any easier."

"What? Whaddya mean?" snapped Kallie, turning back to her and putting her hands on her hips impatiently. "But you can—!"

"I can sense him, yes, but I still can't locate him. In fact, maybe it's just because he's so far away, but all I can do is sense him, not see him."

"But…" Kallie wasn't willing to accept that finding Raide would actually become any more difficult than it already was. "You _can_ tell where that is, right?"

"No, I can't," Aurei reiterated. "And that's just where we might run into problems, because… Raide might have some additional assistance after all."

Kallie's eyes grew wide. "What? You mean that…?

"I don't know what it is exactly." As her brow furrowed slightly, Aurei actually looked rather worried. "All I can sense is that… it's like he's on the other side of some thick fog. I _know_ he's there, but I can't tell where exactly."

"A fog? I didn't see any fog." Then again, Kallie really hadn't looked far beyond her own consciousness. She hadn't wanted to, really.

"You probably couldn't see it due to your limited vision. But, from all the times I have utilized this extrasensory ability, I have never seen or felt anything quite like that fog before. I can definitely tell that it's a magical presence of some type, one that is a different kind from ours."

"A different kind?" Now Kallie was getting worried too. "Could it maybe be the presence of those serpents?"

"That is a likely possibility. After all, the fog did seem to be surrounding him. If it is the work of our unknown enemy, then that will certainly present a problem."

"Yeah, unfortunately." Rubbing her head, Kallie sighed, unable to help but think just how unnecessarily complicated this whole mission had become, until an idea suddenly occurred to her. "But wait, Aurei… even if you can't pinpoint exactly where Raide is, can you at least tell what general direction he's in?"

Though Aurei did not answer, it still looked as though it was something she hadn't actually considered yet, as she suddenly appeared quite thoughtful before closing her eyes. Knowing that she was using her extrasensory perception again, Kallie quietly, though anxiously, waited to see whether or not Aurei could sense where Raide was. But, she found that she didn't have to wait as long as she thought she had to, for only after a few seconds, Aurei's eyes flew open again, and she pointed in a southwesterly direction.

"That way, I think."

Simple though the words were that Aurei uttered, Kallie's heart suddenly gave a flutter, for she well knew what that meant. Even if the location wasn't precise, they still knew that he was here, and where he could be. Chances were that, once they did arrive in that general location, Raide would know that they were there, and he himself would come out to play.

All that Kallie knew, though, was that the showdown was finally upon her. Finally, she would get to personally punish that bastard for all that he had done.

_And I will finally see May…_ The one thought that had kept her pressing on despite the hardships of her journey filled her with more motivation than ever before._ I'll finally see her again!_

"Remember, Kallie," came Aurei's voice, breaking Kallie's line of thought, though only slightly. "Raide might have appeared to be strong, but with the two of us, he should be easily outmatched. Just be wary of his speed, as he will most likely be faster than anything you've fought before—perhaps even faster than Loz."

"Don't worry, I already had a first hand experience with that."

"Also, be mindful of this strange presence that surrounds him. The immense energy that emanated from it was the reason why I couldn't properly sense him."

But, Kallie wasn't about to let that bit of information deter her. "Supernatural presence or not, we still gotta face him, right? I'm definitely not gonna let anything or anyone stand in the way of getting my cousin back!"

Aurei seemed to like the sound of that. "Then, shall we proceed?"

And just like that, with the notion of at last saving May and kicking some ass, Kallie's enthusiasm returned with a smirk. "Hell yeah, let's do this! Bastard half-brother, here we come!"

Nevertheless, despite her wanting to focus solely on her objective, as she and Aurei proceeded to head in the direction her sister had sensed Raide would be in, Kallie could not keep her thoughts from straying yet again to Loz and Yazoo. Perhaps their presence wasn't necessary for confronting Raide, yet she still wished that they could see her beat the sorry ass of the one person who had led her out here in the first place, and had been the primary reason why their alliance even existed.

In that regard, however, their abrupt departure—and the fact that they wouldn't actually be helping her out in the end—made her wonder whether or not this alliance of theirs was really meant to be. They had simply separated without so much as a parting word, as if this alliance had never happened, so had there truly been any significance to it? Or had Kallie just been naïve about the whole thing all along?

Either way, Kallie guessed she would find out soon enough—this could just be a test, after all. Perhaps for now, their current goal was to simply wait while everyone attended to their own respective missions: she had to let Loz and Yazoo find their mother, while she and Aurei searched for their half-brother. Quite frankly, Kallie didn't want to have any distractions; she didn't want to have to worry or concern herself with anything else, other than the one thing she had set out to do here. Now that Aurei had located him, it felt as though the path had been completely cleared, with no more obstructions between herself and Raide, and that was a path Kallie wasn't about to stray from. Not after having made it this far.

_You'd better be ready, Raide,_ Kallie thought determinedly to herself, letting her sister take the lead as they started to race through the streets of Junon, towards the place where they believed Raide would be. _You'd better be ready for a world of hurt, 'cuz I'm gonna make you pay for every bit of shit that you've put me through. For everything that you put May through._

_Raide… I __**will**__ take May back, and I __**will**__ make you suffer._

_

* * *

_

_H-how…? How can __**she**__ possibly be here?_

Other than the day Raide had first discovered his powers, he didn't think he had ever been more astonished by anything in his whole life. Even as she continued to approach him, still silent save for her footfalls, he had to wonder if it was all an illusion, because maybe then that would be the only way he would be able to accept what he was seeing. Illusion or not, however, there was denying that it was her: after all, no one else he had ever known wore a dark, hooded cloak that completely concealed their body. It wasn't what she always wore, but she still donned it quite a bit out of a frequent, strange desire to hide her identity, especially whenever she had to be in public places like this one, whether or not there was no one around at the moment.

_But, boss… __**How**__ can you be here?_ He still couldn't find his voice enough to ask her that, even though Raide had the feeling he did know the answer. No matter what she did, there was no underestimating the power she wielded—time and time again, she had proven that to him. She often would prove him wrong, just as she had done now. Damn, she really hadn't been lying when she had told him, in case of urgency, distance would be of no consequence to her. But, he thought she had just been talking about the serpents, or her clairvoyant abilities!

_What __**can't**__ you do, boss? _Raide wondered, readjusting his grip on May as his boss drew closer, until she stopped a few feet away, and at last spoke to him.

"Surprised, are you?" The normally stern face—what he could see of it now beneath the hood—lifted in a small smile, yet brought no warmth to her visible features. "I told you before, in any time of crisis when I am needed, distance is not an issue to me."

"No shit," muttered Raide to himself, unsure if he had quite recovered from the shock yet. He supposed he had come to accept her presence here, yet still could not get his head around how she would have gotten here. "I, uh… I was just… Oh damn it, never mind."

"Good. There is no sense in explaining, as you yourself already know well enough."

"Fine then, boss. If ya ain't gonna tell me how you got here, then could ya at least tell me _why?_" She had only said she would do so if it was an emergency, after all…

"Of course." A hand, clad in a leather gauntlet, suddenly extended out from the cloak towards him. "I have come to take the child back myself."

"You… _what?_"

All Raide had been feeling at that point was shock and bewilderment, and now he became suddenly furious. For nearly two weeks—_two_ damn weeks—he had spent traveling to and fro on her orders, driving all the way out to Edge so he could kidnap May, then driving all the damn way _back_, except then he had deal with looking after a whiny little kid and the possibility of having many adversaries on his tail. Only, in the end, it turned out that boss could have done it all herself, and he didn't need to have done shit.

In one instant, his entire mission had become completely pointless, and Raide had never feel so angry with his boss.

"What the _hell_, boss?" In his fury, he actually dropped May as he rose to his full height, gnashing his teeth at the cloaked woman before him. "What the _hell_ are ya tellin' me, boss? Is this some kind of shitty joke or what?"

"Hold your tongue, Raide, and _listen_ to me." Although his boss normally spoke with that air of calm assurance from before, that disposition still often slipped, as she easily became frustrated with Raide's impertinence. "Strong though the power I possess is, you know I cannot use it at my leisure. Especially when I attempt to use it across great distances, it takes a toll on this fragile shell of mine, and in the past few days alone I have been using more than I need to.

"Besides…" she continued determinedly, when Raide made to angrily protest again. "I cannot take May back with me using my powers, for only _I_ can cross to and fro."

"Then _why?_" Boss still hadn't answered his question, he realized. "Why the _hell_ are ya takin' May back? It'd better be a good reason!"

"It is, I assure you. Your siblings, Raide… They've arrived in Junon and they are searching for you even as we speak."

Raide flinched horribly, having just been shut up for good in his full-blown disconcertion and dismay.

"You were right to have hastened your journey, Raide. Had you arrived any later, they would have probably been here in time to thwart you, and then our plans would have utterly fallen through."

"Whaddya expect me to do, then? Ya wanna fight 'em off with me or somethin'?"

A growl of impatience returned in the woman's voice. "I told you, I came for the girl. Have you not figured out yet what I am asking of you?"

"Wait a sec…" Now that his boss had pointed it out to him, it didn't take him very long to piece everything together, and the more he did so, the more it felt like the bottom of his stomach was dropping out. "Ya want me to stay here and fight 'em off, so ya have enough time to haul ass outta here…" Upon realizing what else that meant for him, however, Raide was incited to anger again. "But, boss! What 'bout our deal? What about _her? _This ain't what I agreed to!"

"Our deal was that you would retrieve the girl at whatever costs and bring her to me," his boss reminded him heatedly. "And you have performed serviceably, Raide."

"Not _that_ part!" Raide snapped, waving his hand furiously through the air. "What 'about _May_? What you told me she could do for me? That's one of the only reasons why I'm doing this, boss! I'm only doing this so she—!"

A flash of blue-white light suddenly blinded him, accompanied by a sound like the crack of a whip, and Raide simultaneously felt a sharp pain strike him across his chest. It was barely enough to cause any sustainable damage, yet was still enough that it cut short his protest, and it made him realize that his boss really meant business here. Well, she always did, but whenever she had to use that technique, she was truly being serious, like a tamer whipping an animal into submission, and an animal that was already a captive at that.

"I apologize, Raide," she said, lowering the hand she had used the spell with. "But, there is no time for your dissent right now. With every passing moment, Aurei and Kallie come closer to finding us, and I need every moment I can to make my escape. You also need every moment you can in order to prepare for the confrontation."

"But, what 'bout—?"

"_This_ you must listen to, Raide. I will be still taking her to Gongaga, just as you would have had this situation not occurred. Once the battle here is over, depending on the circumstances, you will return to Gongaga at once. Perhaps, by that time, the child will have realized what she is capable of, yet I cannot guarantee that she will be a swift learner."

"That's still some big risk-takin', boss." Though Raide was still furious with her, it was been somewhat subdued by both the blow she had dealt him and his own growing anxiety. "There's no tellin' if I'll come outta this alive or not. Kallie I can easily beat by myself, even if she's gotten better since the first time we met, but _Aurei?_ If she's been training for as long as you said, then she's gonna be insanely strong!"

"Raide." His boss suddenly sounded as if she was going to chuckle. "Aurei may be strong, possibly even one of the strongest human beings alive, but you share the same kind of power that she does, do you not? Besides… do you really believe that they will kill you? No, you are too valuable to them that they would let you die. They will need you to find out where I have taken May, after all, and I am sure they would want to find out more about me as well."

"And, you're completely fine with me just travelin' along with 'em?" The novel plan was beginning to make sense to him, barely, but Raide still couldn't believe this abrupt change in their plans. "You're completely fine with me leadin' em right to your doorstep? They _could_ make me betray ya, boss."

"Ah, but you cannot do that now, can you? You well _know_ that I am the only one who will be able to help you, and because of that, I am certain you will keep your allegiance to me. As for leading them to my doorstep… Well, I believe we all know that an encounter between myself and them would one day be inevitable, so it may as well be planned—that shall work to my advantage."

"But, May… What if they manage—?"

"Eventually, they might be able to rescue her, yet not until I have fulfilled my promise to you. You have my word." Once more, she stretched out an arm towards him, her voice once again filled with assurance and confidence. "So, Raide, you know what you must do now, right?"

After a bit more hesitation, thinking through his boss's plan one more time, Raide finally assented. Picking May up, he walked up to his boss and handed her over, placing the unconscious girl in her arms.

"All I gotta do is just fight my siblings and buy you some time, right? And then travel back to Gongaga with 'em?"

"Just as long as you come back to Gongaga, although I would like you to keep an eye on them as well. That is all," his boss said. "I will take care of May from here. Oh, but before I do go, allow me to do a favor for you."

That white-blue light suddenly appeared around him once more, yet instead of causing him pain or making him fall unconscious as it had May, Raide was engulfed in an uplifting wave of relief and rejuvenation. The tiredness from lack of sleep was banished from his eyes, as well as the soreness that racked his body. All of that had gone in an instant, leaving Raide completely refreshed, as if he had just had a full night's rest in a comfortable bed.

"T-thanks, boss," Raide said, always a little stunned whenever she utilized her power like that. Normally, ordinary Cure spells could only be used to heal injuries and not fatigue, and boss's magic was perhaps the only thing he knew that was able to do so. As if he was going to complain about that, though, seeing he now felt fully prepared to face his half-sisters in battle.

His boss smiled softly, though again without a hint of warmth. "You are quite welcome as always, Raide."

But, suddenly, Raide started in alarm when his boss swayed on the spot, her body briefly flickering with that white-blue light, and he actually had to hasten to catch May again when she slipped out of his boss's grip. His boss slumped slightly against a nearby wall, supporting herself there for a few moments before pushing away and straightening up once more, her breath momentarily shuddering.

"You see? This is the price I must pay for having used so much of my power, and for not having used so much of it before as I have now, it was a higher toll than I had expected." Taking another deep breath, she appeared to have regained her bearings, yet still appeared rather wan. "Our time is running short. Hurry and finally face your siblings in battle, Raide, so that I might have time to escape with May."

This time, Raide did not hesitate when he handed May back over to his boss, for a sense of urgency had been creeping into him as well. Yet, an earnest look still existed in his eyes as he met his boss's gaze, one last time.

"You really promise me that you'll get this to work, right?"

"I promise, Raide. Now, go!"

Staring his boss's way a little longer, he finally nodded, and she promptly turned to head back into the other alleyway from which she had come from. A moment afterward, Raide had turn to go his separate way as well, yet had also lingered long enough to watch how she departed. Her body began to glow with that white-blue light again, yet this time it seemed to give her the ability to leap high into the air, allowing her to easily scale the height of the building. The whole while, she moved with a supernatural quickness as well, until she was finally gone from his sight, and Raide finally walked away, though was still slightly fuming over the position that his boss had left him in.

_It's just like her, makin' me do all her dirty work._ But, at least that was one thing that reassured him she had no reason to betray him either: she needed him just as much, to do the things that she would otherwise be unable to do, all-powerful though she seemed to be. Though she taught him valuable things and gave him help in exchange for his 'services', his role was nothing more than a servant or a pawn to her. That was all he basically was, and he might as well be a slave too, seeing how he was chained to her promises and her favors.

_Like I care what I'm doin' with my life anyway._

From the day he was born, he had never had any real direction to go with his life—all he had ever learned was just how to survive in order to live to see another day. It was only once he had grown older that he began to see the only thing he had to live for, those goals he had gradually come to realize the more shit had happened to him, and which soon became the only things that had ever truly guided him. Once his boss came along, and reassured him that she could help him achieve those goals, they became his sole motivation.

No matter what he had to do in order to achieve them, even if it meant becoming someone's pawn, he would do it. They were all that he had to live for, and once he was to achieve them, it would be then that Raide truly wouldn't care what happened with his life. Even if he were to die not long after, he would be content, just as long as those goals had been fulfilled. If they weren't, however, if he died in the process or this mission was to fail… then he would never be able to forgive himself. His spirit would never be able to rest in peace.

_Just as long as I'm alive until my business here is done, that's all I give a damn about._ Determination then suddenly arose within him, spreading to his features with something like a wicked smile. _So, let's get to it, huh? My dear sisters… where the hell could you possibly be?_

Yet, that was a rhetorical question on Raide's part, for he too knew how to locate them. Like Aurei, he too had visited that extrasensory realm many times before, training as much as he could until it came naturally to him—after all, this was how he had known exactly where Kallie had been living in Edge. Closing his eyes, he effortlessly launched his consciousness beyond himself, searching only momentarily before he at last felt the two different, very distinct energies he sought.

While he clearly recognized one of them as being Kallie's, however, he was rather startled at how much stronger her aura had become: unlike barely a week ago, unlike the dim, feeble embers he had hardly been able to sense even within a close range, they had now become a flaming torch, a beacon he could see even from far away. Although he had not expected her powers to have grown so much in such a short time, Raide was far from dismayed. If anything, he would have been disappointed if she had only improved a little, or hadn't at all, because then all the fun might have been taken out of the battle.

_But, that other one…_ The other one he sensed quickly made him realize that this wasn't something he could mess around with, as his much older sister was easily going to be a force to be reckoned with. His boss hadn't been lying about her: the energy that emanated from Aurei's source was immense, and he could simply _feel_ that glacial coldness even from a fair distance, giving even his self in the real world goosebumps. From the start, he knew Aurei would easily present a challenge, yet it was a challenge he would relish, and had, in fact, been looking forward to for quite some time, ever since he had first realize he would someday had to face her in battle.

_What're we waitin' for, then?_

Knowing where he could find them now, Raide's eyes flew open, and he took off. With laughter escaping from his lips, he leapt to the top of a building in only a couple of bounds and dashed across the roofs of the city, speeding towards the place where he had sensed his sisters' presences would be. With his swiftness, however, such distances never meant anything to him anymore, and it didn't even feel like a minute had gone by before he reached the approximate area where he had sensed his sisters would be. Then again, there was the adrenaline rush that he was feeling too.

_For so long… I've been waiting for this._ His entire body felt absolutely alive with anticipation, more alive than it had felt in this longest time. His blood was rushing, his heart pounding in his chest, and it was hard for him to keep still. The excitement was being fed into his power as well, causing that electrical energy to race from his head to the tips of his fingers all the way down to his toes, and making him even more wired than before. Raide knew he should calm down, to regain control of himself and his powers, yet he didn't want to. It had been far too long since he had felt like this—far too long.

At last, however, Raide managed to pull enough of his power in check again that he was able to close his eyes in order to check on Aurei and Kallie's location again. Just as he had suspected, they were indeed in this area. In fact, they were much closer than he had thought. A lot closer. Right behind him, and then a little farther to his left, that was where they were.

With a smirk, he jumped into the air just in time to avoid the Ice spell that had been shot at him, briefly freezing the spot where he had been before shattering. His target, however, was not the person who had just shot at him, but rather the one that was still in hiding, perhaps having been told to wait there until some kind of signal was given. Whether or not they had a plan laid out, though, he would ensure that any tactics of theirs would always prove to be useless.

Faster than either of them would be able to react, Raide swiftly drew his sword, darting towards the other one's hiding spot, and slashing at the boxes that she had concealed herself behind. She must have been taken off guard, for he heard her gasp, yet had not been caught unaware enough that she failed to anticipate his next move. When he next swung his sword at her, he was surprised that her weapon actually met his in a parry; wondering if it was simply a one time thing, he proceeded to use a number of swift, consecutive strikes, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she was able to block them all.

The next time their weapons connected, however, the result was that they were locked in a brief struggle to overpower the other. It did not last long, but for those few seconds that it did, it was long enough that Raide could look into the eyes of his opponent, a furious gaze that he recognized from several days ago. In the depths of those hazel eyes, a fiery determination burned, blazing even more strongly than the fire he had sensed within her.

But, the moment soon came to its end when the power struggle was resolved, yet not by either of them. Again, his other sister rapidly approached him from behind, for he could hear the whoosh of metal and the clanging of a chain. It was a difficult position he was in, to be caught in between his two opponents, yet Raide was skilled at acting fast and thinking on his feet. Forcibly breaking away, he then spun twice on the spot, slashing his charged sword through the air, and sending out two waves of electrical energy towards both of his sisters. Just as he had hoped, it pushed them back as they attempted to block it, giving him enough time and space to jump away, landing on a slightly raised section atop the building on which they fought.

It was then that all three siblings, the children of Emery Driessen, were able to look upon each other for the first time, and it was sure one hell of a family reunion. Though Aurei and Kallie were each shaking off the last of the shocking, yet minor effects of Raide's technique, they both glared towards Raide, their weapons clutched tightly in their hands, assuming a stance that was ready for more fighting. On the other hand, Raide looked haughtily down upon his two half-sisters, smirking, feeling that despite his status as the youngest of the bunch, he still had the upper advantage. They had all met for not even a minute yet, and they were already all engaged in a family fight—it could only indicate just how tumultuous their relationship in the future would be, if they happened to survive past this.

"I'm gonna make you pay, you _bastard_." Kallie's threatening growl could not have suited the atmosphere of the reunion any better. "I'm gonna make you pay for everything you've done!"

* * *

_Well, guys, I think it's finally begun: the denouement of the first volume in the __Illusory Flame__ trilogy! Never, ever before have I gotten this far in any story I've written, as you've heard me say a billion times before, but I just become amazed with myself the farther I progress with __Embers__. Of course, we aren't just at the end yet, for we still have quite a few threads to tie up, but we're definitely getting there. _

_Events have sure taken an exciting turn anyway, haven't they? We've finally arrived in Junon, Aurei, Kallie, and Raide have all finally met, Loz and Yazoo have become all weird and went off to look for Mommy, and… what's this? Raide's boss, the mysterious antagonist who's been hiding in the shadows all this time, has made her grand appearance? And she's taken May with her too? OH NOES! What will ever become of Kallie's mission to rescue her cousin? Stay tuned to find out!_

_Okay, enough with the cheesy cliffhanger next-episode preview sort of thing… Leave feedback if you've been motivated enough to, and I shall see you next time!_

_P. S. Oh yeah, almost forgot. Thought that this would be the best place to mention it. A few days ago, I got myself a formspring account! For those of you who might be unfamiliar with it, it's basically a site where you can ask me any sort of question, which I'll answer and then it'll show up on my profile page! I have set it up so only members who are logged in can ask me questions, but you can ask anonymously too, if you want. Just thought I'd tell you guys in case you're interested, if you've ever been wondering something about me and been waiting for the opportunity to ask. I put the link up in my profile page. :)_

_All right, signing off for good now! _


	25. In The Depths Of The Fog

_Yay, done with another chapter! It's always a feeling of victory once I finish a chapter, and especially once I get it posted and FF dot not isn't being a moron again about it and everything is HAPPY. Of course, this author's note was written before I would try to upload this to FF dot net, so hopefully I haven't jinxed myself! XD_

_Well, while the end of the last chapter was certainly left on a cliffhanger, and at a climactic battle at that, I think I might have hinted before that I don't intend to return to the big fight right away. In fact, just to be a mean person, I'm going to prolong the suspense a bit longer and not include Kallie, Aurei, OR Raide in this chapter! _

_That's right, the three materia siblings aren't going to be seen in this chapter, and that'll certainly be a first for Kallie. (Of course, it's not like they won't be going without mention either, definitely not, especially since a bit of recapping will be happening.) Instead, I've decided that now will be a good time to go back and see what's been happening with the other characters, especially since some haven't made an appearance for quite some time! Like, holy crap, the Turks! And Rufus! And Cloud and Tifa and co.! Even though the latter has been getting a lot more screentime recently, more so than previous chapters, anyway, ha ha._

_Well, as usual, I think that's enough of my ramblings, so onward with Chapter 25! (And be prepared for more ramblings at the end of the chapter, of course.)_

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 25**

_The Depths of the Fog_

"Well… that was a complete waste of time…" yawned Reno after he had put on his headset, sitting back in the passenger seat of the helicopter's cockpit before rubbing his forehead with a groan. "Who would've thought the father actually knew we were coming and bailed out before we got here?"

"Aurei clearly knew that we would most likely target her father next, so she probably warned him just in time," Rude replied, who was piloting the helicopter this time, which had just lifted off from in front of the Driessens' cottage. "It was probably the first thing she did once she and the remnant escaped from us

"At least we know the father's suspicious too, huh? I doubt he would've run if he were innocent."

Though Rude didn't say anything, he nevertheless grunted in agreement. That day when he had visited the family three years ago, he had sensed there was something fishy about both the father and daughter. Although the father had acted normal enough, and seemed free enough of suspicion (the Shinra company trusted him enough to be working outside of Midgar, after all), Rude had come to get the feeling that Emery Driessen had been attempting to hide something, and it must have had something to do with Aurei. The battle with her three years ago had planted that notion in him, and the battle yesterday had simply confirmed it: that woman was no ordinary fighter.

It was a mystery that had bothered him ever since he had first met her, and it was something he had hoped to resolve upon having the opportunity to actually investigate their home, once they found their way back out of the Mythril Mines and returned to where they had hidden their helicopters. It had seemed all too easy at first, for not only was he able to locate the Driessen cottage from memory, but they found it to be completely deserted. Entering was effortless as well, for the lock on the front door was easy to pick, and it was far enough away from any nearby homes that they wouldn't be caught for breaking in.

Yet, it was upon investigating the home itself that they soon discovered that finding any sort of clue or evidence to the family's secret was going to be the most challenging part. In fact, even though they had stayed overnight in the cottage, in case the father would happen to return and they could confront him then, their search turned up absolutely nothing.

They, like Yazoo, were unable to find anything that might possibly incriminate the family, or even give a hint to the nature of Aurei's abilities. All the documents that they had found had solely pertained to Emery Driessen's work as a W.R.O. ecologist, and hardly contained anything that would be useful to them. Somehow, Rude hadn't been surprised at all that Aurei's room had barely yielded even the slightest clue about its former occupant, sparse save for basic furnishings and only a few personal belongings.

The only thing Rude truly garnered from examining Aurei's room was yet another increase in the sense of dread and discomfort he felt every time he thought about the woman. Not that Rude could say he had ever visited many women's bedrooms in his lifetime, but any person's personal space shouldn't be as bare and plain as hers was. It would have been nice to see something as simple as a vase of flowers, a stuffed animal that might hold sentimental value, or even a nice family photo (though he would never know that Aurei had indeed possessed the latter at one point, for Emery Driessen had made sure to take it with him).

Rude knew it wasn't really his business to pry, or to even care, unless it was from the perspective of an investigator. No matter what angle he tried to view Aurei Driessen from, however, it still brought him that same level of disquiet, for something about her had perturbed him from that one day he had first met her. When Reno had inquired about her last night, about what Rude had thought of her when he had first met her, it hadn't been so easy for him to share his first impression of her. (Well, not only had Reno become slightly inebriated from helping himself to the Driessens' collection of wine, but had also asked the question in a rather unprofessional context, though that was beside the point.)

"She wasn't that much different from when we saw her today," Rude told him, again politely refusing Reno's offer to pour him some wine, since he wasn't a fan of using others possessions even if they were a suspect or a criminal. "If anything, I'd say she's grown even… _colder_ since then."

Coldness: that was the best term he could use to describe her, and after today, he was starting to see why. Even though Aurei had hardly used her Ice powers when he had first fought her, coldness had still been a part of her demeanor, especially once he had brought up the fact he was there on behalf of Shinra, and looking to recruit her as a possible female SOLDIER. The only difference was that, back then, he had seen a hint of something in her that was actually pleasant: kindness, a small bit of affection and compassion, though one that she reserved solely for her father. From that daughterly devotion, Rude had come to surmise even then why she had so readily rejected the invitation to SOLDIER, and fully understood the resolve she had possessed to defeat him.

_But, today…_ that coldness was all he had seen in her. Though he had no evidence to support the idea that she was fighting for her father again in today's confrontation, Rude had a feeling that was still the case, and she had become even more hell-bent about it than ever before—to the point where she didn't even seem all that human anymore. At least even when he had first fought her before, she had actually appeared a little cocky, assuring him with a smirk that no matter how much force he would utilize to make her submit, she would never give into their demands to join SOLDIER.

Truth be told, it was perhaps one of the last times anyone would see her smile.

"C'mon, man, did you _really_ lose to her when you met her that first time?" Reno still seemed unable to get over the fact that his comrade had lost to Aurei. "You've always been one of the Turks' best fighters, especially in hand-to-hand combat."

"Aurei was sought after as a SOLDIER candidate for a reason, Reno, and I found out first-hand her potential was even greater than they first thought."

Reno scoffed. "Candidate my _ass_. You probably just let her off easy 'cuz you got the hots for her, eh?"

"Reno, you know I don't let that sort of thing get in the way of my work." The woman was attractive, Rude admitted that much, but by no means would he have ever fancied her. Her cold personality alone would be a deterrent to any man that tried to pursue her, something which Reno evidently didn't have a clear grasp of yet. "That day, Aurei defeated me, fair and square."

"But _how,_ dude?"

"You think I have any better of an idea?" Rude grumbled back. It was tiring, to have to tell Reno the same things over and over again, but the fiery-haired Turk had probably forgotten he had ever made those inquiries, since most of them had been asked during his state of intoxication. The fact that he had a slight hangover right now was the reason why he wasn't piloting. "When I asked her who had taught her the forms of fighting she knew, all she told me was that she learned them from her mentor, who used to live in the Kalm area. What made me suspicious, however, is that she refused to disclose his name, saying it wasn't important who he was since he had died a year ago or so previously."

"Well, _that_ ain't like she's hiding anything."

"Indeed. After the… confrontation, I proceeded to try and learn as much as I could about her from Kalm's residents, which should have been an easy task considering the size of the town."

"_Did_ anyone know anything about her?"

"No, which was as I expected. They lived on Kalm's outskirts, after all, isolated from the rest of the town, and very few rarely ever saw either of them. Whenever they did, it was usually Aurei, since her father apparently has an illness that keeps him from traveling too far. From what I gathered, they believe she learned how to fight in order to protect her father, since they live too far away for any help to arrive immediately if an emergency were to occur. They also said she is sometimes hired as an escort if someone in Kalm needed protection from monsters while traveling from point A to point B."

"That makes sense, I guess," commented Reno, watching a pack of Kalm Fangs race across the plains below them. "But, did anybody actually know about who might've taught her?"

"That's the interesting part. Apparently, the last kind of mentor who would have been able to teach any sort of fighting skills died many years ago, before Aurei had even been born. No one ever saw this mentor of hers either; on the rare occasion somebody would see her training, she was always by herself."

"_Weird._ You think she actually had a mentor, or could she have really learned everything herself?"

"The latter would be highly improbable. From the way I've seen her fight, you'd think she had learned from the best instructors Shinra would have had to offer. Using a sickle-chain like she does is no simple weapon to master."

"Gotta say, it was pretty hard to top them. Maybe she didn't want her mentor's secrets spreading or something, if he was that good."

"It's another missing piece of the puzzle, that's for sure. I simply never imagined it would become something this complex, though."

"That now she's apparently working alongside those damn remnants?" Stretching out his arms, Reno placed them behind his head. "Yeah, that's pretty screwed up right there. You'd have to be insane to wanna team up with them, yo."

Rude grunted in agreement, for he truly wouldn't have put it past Aurei to not be right in the head, after all that he had seen of her. The mystery surrounding her only seemed to add to that, that mystery which had prompted him to learn as much as he could about her from Kalm's residents, even though it hadn't been required of him, and that lack of information he could find on her only made Aurei even more of an enigma. Despite the fact that he hadn't needed to meet her again, and he doubted he ever would have to once the female SOLDIER concept was dropped, he wasn't about to forget her.

Not only had it not been normal at all to him that an eighteen or nineteen-year-old woman could be so strong, but also how she could be so cold and stoical. It simply struck him that one who hadn't even been trained or raised in an army could possess such a disposition, as she certainly reminded him of many high-ranking warriors in both SOLDIER and even the Turks. Sometimes, in those moments when he would reflect back on the enigmatic Aurei, he would come to believe that she was meant for some greater, higher purpose, one that she had been trained for all her life, and hence why she had so determinedly refused the offer to join SOLDIER. That had to be the only possible explanation.

Except, Rude simply would have never imagined that that purpose would have anything to do with the remnants, or anything involving Jenova or Sephiroth, for that matter. Unless they had been tricked or brainwashed, what reason would anyone have to want to join those bastards?

_Is it any coincidence that I was able to meet her?_ Then, three years later, he would see her again, in the company of the very enemies everyone had thought had been eliminated—and ones that were Sephiroth's servants no less? With all that had been happening recently, though, Rude wasn't so inclined to believe that their meeting had happened by pure chance.

"It's really a bummer Aurei's working with them, huh?" Reno brought up after they had been flying along in silence for a while. "Too bad she didn't get a chance to be recruited into SOLDIER either, 'cuz then I'd totally try asking her out."

"You really just don't know when to give up, do you?"

"What? A guy's gotta try his luck whenever he gets the opportunity, yo! Especially if it's a fine dame like her."

"Women are more than mere eyecandy, Reno."

"But it sure helps, yo!"

"Then why have you never asked out Elena? She's rather pretty, I think."

Reno gave something like a disgusted snort. "She's a co-worker, man! That'd just be _weird_. 'Sides, I wouldn't get by one day without getting nagged by the President or the chief! She ain't really my type anyway."

"I don't think Aurei would your type either. In fact, she would be out of your league."

"_Ouch_, man. C'mon, don't be crushing my ego. You're supposed to be my support here, yo!"

"I'll always be your support, partner. It just so happens that, presently, finding a woman should be our last concern."

"Maybe," sighed Reno, "but having a woman would sure be a nice remedy in times like these. Plus, if the apocalypse's upon us or something, it'd be nice to get a little lovin' before the end."

"Just don't be expecting to get any from Aurei."

"Whatever, yo."

* * *

When Elena had finally been able to return to Healin the previous evening, after that terrible encounter in the Mythril Mines, the only thing that was on her mind was rest. Tseng had managed to patch her arm up pretty well once they had located the chopper again, and aside from additional medical aid when they had arrived at the lodge itself, all that she wanted was to crawl into bed and fall asleep. She wasn't even that hungry at all, despite the fact that the last time she ate had been a measly lunch in the early afternoon.

Of course, it was only once she had climbed under the covers that she found, though she was tired, her mind was restless and wide-awake. For hours it seemed, Elena merely lay there in bed, staring up at the ceiling of her small bedroom, the events of the day buzzing through her head as she recollected the happenings that were either new or familiar. The remnants, that orange-haired girl, the fire, Aurei Driessen, the serpents, her broken arm, her shattered handgun, Reno fighting for his life, Ifrit, the serpents appearing again to put an end to the battle once and for all…

Yet, above all else, she would never forget that terror. That horrid, familiar terror. She would never forget those cold, ruthless eyes of the silver-haired man, or that chilling, remorseless voice as the remnant pointed his gun at Reno, in preparation to end his life right then and there in front of her.

It would simply become something else to haunt her dreams, as if enough nightmares hadn't already been spawned by the torture they had put her and Tseng through before.

Eventually, in spite of having considered taking a pill to help her sleep again, Elena was finally able to fall asleep on her own, though not until the early hours of the morning. When she awoke, the clock on her bedside table told her it was nearly four in the afternoon, and though having gotten a full rest might have done her some good, she still felt downright terrible. It didn't help that, outside, the skies were a dark gray and it appeared to have been raining for a while now, dampening her already dulled mood.

When she later emerged into the main part of the lodge, she wasn't surprised to see Tseng and Rufus seated on the couch, deep in discussion about the urgent matters at hand. Along with cups of coffee that the two men were drinking out of, there were various documents, newspaper articles, and maps strewn out on the nearby table; the television was even playing the tape that the messenger boy had left, the screen currently paused on an image of the mysterious woman's face. It was perhaps the only clear part of her visage they had been able to see, but even then that wasn't really saying much, seeing as she kept her face mostly hidden under the hood of a cloak.

"Ah, Elena, you're up," said Rufus, looking past Tseng at her and alerting the latter of her presence, who immediately looked concerned. "You were asleep for so long we were starting to worry about you."

"You still don't look very well," Tseng observed, immediately standing up so Elena could have his seat, as there was no other seating available in the room. "Is your arm bothering you?"

"Not really," she responded, dropping into the spot Tseng had vacated and giving him a wan, yet appreciative smile. "My arm's fine. Just didn't sleep very well, that's all."

"And unsurprisingly, you seem to be quite hungry," Rufus added when her stomach gave sudden loud growl, causing her to cringe while placing her good hand on her abdomen.

"I'll get you something right away," was Tseng's immediate response, before heading towards the kitchen area of the lodge.

"So, what's been happening while I've been knocked out?" Elena inquired as she took a seat on the couch. Upon realizing Reno and Rude didn't appear to be back yet, she added, "And where's Reno and Rude?"

"They should be returning shortly, seeing as three hours ago they notified us that they had left Kalm," Rufus informed her, clearing a space on the coffee table to make room for Elena's meal when Tseng would bring it back. "As for what we've been doing… well, you haven't missed much. We've merely been discussing our next course of action, and we haven't gotten far from square one, I'm afraid."

"Why not?"

"Limited information, and little idea of where the remnants and their 'companions' could be now. That, and we figured we'd best get our next set of directions from _her_." Rufus gestured at the screen paused on the mysterious woman's hooded face. "Though, of course, we haven't the faintest clue as to how she'll tell us, since her messenger boy will probably never return to Healin.

"Despite the lack of progress that we've made, however, Tseng and I have been waiting for you to wake up." When Elena looked inquisitively at Rufus, he elaborated, "We've been meaning to ask you about your encounter with the orange-haired girl, as it seems to be pretty much confirmed that she is indeed assisting the remnants. We would've asked you earlier, but given your injuries and your fatigue, Tseng decided it would be best to wait until you were feeling better."

"O-okay." Though she couldn't say she really felt much better than yesterday, Elena did want to do whatever might be necessary to piece together more clues about this mystery. Something in her did want to share her personal account of what had occurred anyway. "What do you guys wanna know about her?"

"About what fighting her was like, and about her alliance with the remnants, mainly. Although, we figured it would be best for Tseng to tell you first about what he observed of Aurei and the remnant she escaped with, since he didn't already. I would like to hear it again myself, as a matter of fact. And speak of the devil, here he is."

Sure enough, Tseng had returned, carrying a tray that had a simple assortment of foods on it, such as a bowl of soup, some bread, and a glass of water. That was what Elena wanted most, really, because though she was certainly hungry, she didn't really feel like eating, and something light would be ideal here.

"What were you saying about me?" Tseng asked as he placed the tray on the table in front of Elena, who received it with a warm smile. "Ah, you wanted me to tell her about Aurei and the remnant now?"

"Of course."

"Very well. Give me a moment to fetch a chair, then." Once he had, and had placed it on the opposite side of the table, facing down, he sat down upon it before clearing his throat. "Let's see… Well, one of the first things I definitely noticed about Aurei, before the battle had even begun, was that she actually appeared to be the leader of the group, rather than the one named Yazoo. Not only was she guiding them through the Mythril Mines, but was the one who gave the most directions, as well as answering or asking the most questions. Yazoo, it seemed, merely wanted to give the impression that he was the one in charge.

"Interesting observation indeed," the President commented. "And what was she like during the battle? Didn't you say she seemed to have a strict preference for Ice magic?"

"Yes. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen such consistent use of Ice magic by a single person in battle, and it was quite a powerful display as well, I might add, especially the limit break she utilized when the serpents were summoned. Her choice of weapon was also unique, as I've personally rarely seen an individual use a sickle-chain in combat, and I've seen many different types of weaponry in my day.

"Above all else, however, she was a formidable warrior. It's probably been years since I've had a fight as intense as that one, and I'm actually surprised that I made it out relatively unscathed. According to Rude, who fought her three years previously as you know, she was a strong fighter even then, and we all know that Rude isn't taken down easily."

"In summation, she's a force to be reckoned with, and feared as well, considering whose side she happens to be on." Having again heard Tseng's account of her combative proficiency, Rufus appeared thoughtful, his chin resting on a loose fist. "On that note, what about the remnant who fought alongside her, the one called Loz? You noticed something peculiar about his behavior, didn't you?"

"Peculiar would be the way to describe it, considering what I'd observed of his demeanor before. He acted quite _protective_ of her, and actually appeared to be quite attached to her. Regardless, after I shot Aurei's arm, he was particularly angered by that and actually seemed to want to retaliate, though the serpents were holding him up at the time." Tseng gave a chuckle then. "You'd think he was a mindless admirer he seemed so fond of her—though not as fond of her as he is of his 'Mother', I'm sure."

"Quite peculiar indeed. Certainly not the kind of behavior we would've ever expected out of Sephiroth's pawns." After taking a sip from his coffee cup, Rufus then looked over at Elena, who was halfway through her lunch at that point. "Are you ready to tell your part of the story now, Elena? Though we were haven't gotten the full details, from what you told Tseng yesterday it seems you had an interesting encounter yourself with the orange-haired girl."

"You could say that again."

While Elena had been silent throughout most of Tseng's narration, it wasn't really because she had been eating, since she normally would have had input on a conversation during a meal regardless. Her weariness had been part of the reason, but finally hearing about how Aurei and Loz had been teaming up was making her think again about the encounter with the orange-haired girl, and what she had been able to witness of she and the remnant working together. The more Tseng had told them about the pair, the more curious and intriguing her own story seemed…

"Are you all right, Elena?" Now that Tseng was done with retelling his report, seeing Elena so unusually quiet and subdued made his concern return in twofold. "It's quite unlike you to be so taciturn."

That made Elena laugh. "It really is, huh? Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. I just think yesterday had more of an impact on me than I thought it would, especially with this arm, and the rain's not helping much either."

"The weather is matching everyone's moods right now, I think," Rufus chuckled. "Well, go ahead and tell us what you can so you can get it off your mind, and then you can go back to bed, if you want."

"Sure thing." Although Elena didn't really think she needed more bed rest, the idea was appealing to her nonetheless. Finishing off the last of her meal, she thought about how to begin relaying her part of the story. "Guess I'll start talking about the girl with orange hair, then. We don't know what her name is yet, do we?"

"Correct."

"Okay then…" Even if she had been the one to break her arm, Elena still wished she had a name to call the strange girl by, rather than just referring to her as 'that girl' all the time. "Well, strange enough as it already was that a couple of women would be traveling with the remnants, she definitely looked the most outta place. I mean, she has that girl-next-door look, and her clothing definitely suggests she came from Edge."

Tseng nodded. "I noted that as well, which makes it doubly certain that she was the girl mentioned in the news report."

"Yeah, but her looks are barely the half of it. In comparison to all of them, she probably had the least amount of experience in battle. I remember clearly that, while the remnants and that Aurei were all fighting against you, Rude, and Reno, she was just standing there like she was _petrified_—I think she was especially scared to see us Turks there."

Elena then proceeded to tell them about her attempts to apprehend the girl as the woman had ordered them to do, and had seen the opportunity while the girl was apparently preoccupied. Only then did the girl seem to have realized what was going on, for she started to resist, and even with the net to hinder her movements, she proved to be a challenge to capture. It had actually startled Elena a bit that she was breaking free so easily, and that she could retaliate despite her restraints.

"At one point, though, when she was trying to get away from me, she obviously wasn't looking where she was going and took one step too far and ended up falling in that hole, which led to a tunnel underneath. While I didn't wanna leave you guys, I knew I didn't have much choice other than to chase after her."

"So that's why you went down there in the first place…" muttered Tseng. "Everything was so frenzied at that point that we had no idea what happened to you, or the girl. We just heard you shouting to us, and then next thing we knew, you were gone."

"From what you told them after the battle, though," Rufus spoke up suddenly, "it was when you went after her that you saw her do something extraordinary, correct?"

"Definitely." Elena closed her eyes as she recalled that disbelieving, bewildering moment. "When I got down there, I expected to see her still struggling with the net, but… it was actually _on fire_, with her still wrapped up in it, and she just pulled it off like it was no big deal! I looked closely—I didn't see any burns on her, or any kind of gear that would've protected her! Tseng knows I'm not kidding; he saw the net for himself. They all did, and we brought it back with us too."

"And I wouldn't believe you were lying, Elena," Tseng reassured her. "Indeed, even if it has no use to us, we did bring the net back, though it's still in the chopper."

"I wouldn't doubt you either, Elena, but I would like to see the net for myself. It does seem like the woman wasn't lying, right? That the remnants would have companions possessing powers that defy the laws of nature?"

"That was my first thought too," Elena concurred. "It was also definitely then that I saw a change in the girl, because she became extremely defiant, telling me that she had plans of her own and wasn't gonna let anybody get in her way, and then—"

A shudder unexpectedly ran through Elena's body as she recalled what had happened next, and it unexpectedly rendered her unable to speak. The flames that had sprouted up around her, surrounding her, the girl fiercely bursting through and violently disarming her… Elena was unsure why, but that had probably been the point when she had come to realize she was in way over her head, with an opponent she had underestimated from the start. While Rufus and Tseng comforted her and helped out by asking more questions about the battle, the recollection reminded her of just how much the incident had shaken her.

What had perhaps disturbed her the most about it, though, was that change she had seen in the girl. For her, as strange as it was for her to think about and even stranger to tell the others about, it was as if she had been seeing two different people at once in a single individual. One was the first impression she had had of the girl, someone average and ordinary in appearance, hesitant and uncertain in the face of battle. The other, though, seemed to be the complete opposite: defiant and ferocious, a powerful warrior who was more than competent in the ways of magic and hand-to-hand combat. But, the interaction Elena had observed between those two people was the most intriguing of all.

"It seemed as though they were locked in a conflict?" repeated Rufus, who actually appeared to be taken aback. Tseng's eyes had narrowed in pensiveness, though he said nothing.

"Yeah, and an internal one at that. I could see it in her eyes, mainly." At this point, Elena was rubbing her forehead with her good hand, shaking her head all the while. "I mean, maybe I'm just reading too much into things, but that's what it looked like to me. It was like… she wanted that person's help so she could beat me, but at the same time, I could tell she didn't wanna have to do that to me. After all, when she broke my arm, she looked positively horrified by what she'd done to me, and ran off right after that…"

_It seemed even more intense than the battle she was having with me._

While a part of Elena did resent the girl for having bested her and putting her out of commission, that look she had seen prevented her from bearing a grudge towards the girl. Although, it did make Elena wonder even more about her: if the girl hadn't wanted to be there, then what could have possibly driven her to end up in such a situation, especially one where she had to be allied with Sephiroth's remnants? It was on that note that the Tseng and Rufus directed their next line of inquiry.

"Because of the injury she gave you, I understand that that's the reason why you couldn't purse her and the remnant with Reno when they made their escape. I would have asked Reno about what he observed of the interactions between the girl and the remnant, but didn't get a chance to before he left with Rude to Aurei's residence."

"I saw enough for myself, though."

What she had seen of the girl and the remnant working together was what made the above question even stranger, after all. First off, the girl had plaintively made an effort to rescue him, and had succeeded. But, when it became obviously apparent that the two clearly despised each other, it made their 'alliance' all the more stranger, for the remnant didn't seem to want to have anything to do with her, even when she was trying to tell him there was another way out.

"And still, it looked like they ended up trusting each other, because they still ended up working together to fight against those serpents. But, I think he really ended up trusting her once that crevice got blocked off, and he said that she'd better be right about an alternate escape route before taking off down the tunnel, and she followed right after them." Elena then sighed. "Of course, because of my broken arm I couldn't go after them, so that's pretty much all I can tell you guys."

"Don't worry about it, Elena. It was still quite informative for us." Since Tseng was normally so stoic and self-possessed, it was always reassuring for Elena when he bore a kind expression, such as right now.

"In fact, I think that might be enough information for now. My head is reeling with these new revelations." Of course, Rufus might as well be exaggerating, although he still appeared to be deeply contemplating all of this new information. "I certainly think we might be able to understand the situation a little more, even if parts of it have become even more confusing."

"Such as what reasons the two sides have for helping each other out?" Tseng queried. "It does seem a bit contradictory to me: on one hand, we have Aurei and the remnant Loz, who willingly appeared to be working together, and the latter even seemed protective of Aurei. On the other, Yazoo and that girl were helping each other out, albeit very reluctantly."

"It would have been nice if the woman had explained _why_ they would be traveling together, huh?" Elena muttered. "Instead, she obviously expects us to take orders without question, like she thinks that's how the Turks work. As if we're anything near as ignorant as the remnants are."

"Well stated, Elena. I'm glad to know that I have always kept my subordinates well-informed." That made them all chuckle.

"Actually," Tseng spoke up suddenly, "I just recalled now that I did, in fact, ask Aurei directly about why she and the remnants were allies, although I can see why I forgot. She was incredibly vague about the matter, and avoided directly answering my question; all she said was that they 'found each other useful', verbatim."

"Seems she didn't want to be giving up any information either. But then, that makes it appear she is assisting them of her own free will."

"Neither of them looked brainwashed or anything, that much's for sure," Elena piped up. "I know Kadaj was able to control all those infected kids by making them drink the water he tainted, and I didn't see any signs at all that they'd been manipulated."

Tseng rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "In summation, then, this alliance between them was made of their own free will, yet they most likely had no other option due to unknown circumstances. Somehow, the remnants chanced upon them and made them their allies, most likely out of desperation for aid in their mission. The two women, however, don't appear to have any plausible reason for agreeing to help them out—as of yet, anyway."

"In addition to that," Rufus added, "both appear to have strange and unusual abilities, corresponding to mainly Fire and Ice elements, respectively. Yet, while they might simply have a preference to using those types of materia, the girl wasn't burned by the Fire spell she used on the net, and Aurei's limit break was entirely Ice-based, correct?"

"The latter also used an impressive amount of Ice spells to seal off the cave-in Loz caused when they escaped. While I couldn't see her, her magic was enough that the ice actually seeped between the rocks to our side, completely barring any chances of us pursuing. I must say, if she didn't have a materia equipped to enhance her magic capacity, then I wouldn't call her human, since no ordinary being would be able to cast that many powerful spells in one go."

"And don't forget that Ifrit Reno said the girl summoned on him!" Elena's eyes widened in terror just from thinking about the incident. "That thing was _freakishly_ overpowered, and it lasted a lot longer than summons normally do."

"Agreed. Ifrit is one of the more commonly summoned monsters, and even I have never seen one as powerful as that, especially if it was summoned by one as inexperienced as the girl. Had it not been for the appearance of the massive serpent, we most likely would have all been finished in that tunnel. She clearly must have done something to make it that strong, though what is beyond me."

"So then…" Elena was the first to ask, "Just who—or what—the hell are we dealing with here?"

"I don't know, but if we ever get the chance to meet that woman face to face," Tseng nodded at the television screen, "then she certainly has a lot of answering to do, and answer us she will, whether she wants to or not."

"As usual, I admire your determination, but keep in mind she obviously seems to possess unusual powers of her own, and won't be afraid to use them against us should we disobey. Although, even if we are discontent with the lack of information she gives us, most likely she keeps faith in the fact that we want the remnants gone as much as everybody else does. It's rather flattering that she's chosen us to exterminate them, I think."

"If that's what she really has in mind for us, at least, and we're not the ones who are being used as tools for some obscure cause." His gaze still directed at the image of the woman's face, his eyes narrowed before he suddenly stood and walked over to the television to turn it off, for he tired of trying to decipher that enigmatic being. "If she indeed intends for us to be the ones to resolve this crisis, then… I can only hope that we'll all make it out in one piece."

"Why, Tseng… how uncharacteristically pessimistic of you." Rufus actually sounded rather surprised. "It is all very cryptic, yes, but what drives you to say that?"

Elena's eyes widened again. "You… really think it'll be that dangerous, Tseng?"

"Perhaps I am looking too deep into things, yet I can't help but feel that… the situation is far deeper and far more complex than we believe it is. A week ago, we thought we averted one crisis, yet now another has arisen, and this one is the true threat. That first crisis might have even simply been a precursor to the one we're about to face now; the strange powers the women possess and those serpents are unlike anything we've encountered before, and they all merely seem to be the tip of the iceberg."

A silence fell on the room for a short while, only broken by the sounds of the rain pattering against the windows, as the others processed the grim outlook Tseng had perceived. As much as they thought he really might be overanalyzing the situation, they knew he did have a point, for they as well were starting to sense that something much darker and much more sinister was underway, and they were a part of it once again.

"I apologize." After having been watching the rain outside the window, Tseng turned back to his companions with a sigh. "I think we've merely been discussing the situation for too, and it has given me a slight headache. We should give the matter a break for a while, and then return to it once Reno and Rude get back, if they're up to it."

"I'm certainly up for that, chief."

"Sounds like a plan."

Little did Tseng realize, however, just how close he had come to the truth.

* * *

"Aerith! Aerith, wait!"

In an instant, Cloud had bolted from his spot beside Tifa, racing towards the temple across the pool as fast as he could; had she blinked, she probably would have missed him moving entirely. It had taken her a split second anyway to comprehend that he had left her side, and he had actually nearly leapt all the way across the pool by the time she realized what was going on. Though he landed in the shallow water, a few feet away from shore, it hardly slowed him down, wading through with little effort and immediately dashing towards the entrance of the temple.

The moment Tifa had realized where he had gone, she tried to be right behind him, to immediately follow in his wake, although that was easier said than done. Not only could he move much faster than her, she couldn't jump nearly as far as he could, and when she tried to leap the distance as he had, she landed farther away from the shore, which definitely impeded her progress. By the time she had managed to wade out of pool, despite her quickest efforts, Cloud had already disappeared inside the temple. She didn't go in right away, though, when a sudden realization had struck her.

_Is he… really going to go in there?_ Was he really going to descend down into the place where Aerith had made her sacrifice, if that was indeed where her apparition was meant to lead them? As much progress as Cloud had made during his time here, was he really going to take that big of a step in fighting his reluctance? The closer they came to the spot, the more painful it became—not just for him, but for them all. Even she stood there in hesitation, wondering if she could muster the willpower to approach that place of sorrow and tragedy again.

Yet, it didn't take long for Tifa to make up her mind. If Aerith was trying to lead them someplace important, and Cloud was going to follow, then she would too.

Ignoring the heaviness of her waterlogged shoes, Tifa hastened into the temple, where she fortunately found Cloud had not yet gone down into the temple's underground. Standing still at the top of the floating glass stairs that led downward and out of sight, he appeared to be caught in the same state of hesitation Tifa had been in, except it was probably much worse for him. After all, making the decision to descend those stairs would be one of the last hurtles for him in overcoming his hesitation…

Upon entering, however, her presence seemed to snap him out of that state a little, for Cloud raised his head to look at her, an expression of indecision and uncertainty etched on his face. She knew he was wondering if he too could possibly summon that willpower, to be able to will himself to see that place again.

"Cloud…?" she asked tentatively. Smiling gently, she nodded towards the staircase. "Shall we?"

Though he did not return her smile, Cloud's face became set with determination nonetheless, and he nodded before promptly descending down into the underground. This time, however, he was going slowly enough that Tifa could finally catch up with him, and she was able to follow close behind in his wake.

The moment that they had descended far enough down the stairs, and they could at last see the realm that lay hidden beneath, Tifa was instantly reminded of how awestruck she had been the first time she had visited this place those two years ago. Even now, Tifa wasn't sure or not if they had just stepped into an entirely new existence, separated from the rest of the world; she wouldn't have doubted if they had, given the spiritual, otherworldly the nature of the Cetra. It was like the vastness of the ocean surrounded them, an expanse of watery blue stretching out into infinity. Immensely tall spires of crystal, seemingly composed of the same glass the stairs were made out of, rose nearly all the way up from the city-like structures below, all lit with an ethereal light that had no definitive source. The fact that they walking upon stairs that were suspended in midair all by themselves, with no actual support, was surreal enough as it was.

At the same time, however, the prominent reminder of what had taken place here overshadowed what feelings of awe and reverence she might be experiencing. It seemed it would be peaceful enough here, but was far from being tranquil. The air here was already heavy with the age and wisdom that had accumulating over the many hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years that this place had existed, and the additional feelings of grief made it difficult to even breathe.

_Who knew that we would ever have to return to this place? Aerith… what do you mean to tell us by leading us here?_

Though they had a clear view of the structures below from this high up, neither Cloud nor Tifa could see where Aerith had gone. While she hadn't looked to be that far away from them when her apparition had appeared to be walking into the temple, she wasn't anywhere on the stairway ahead of them either. Yet, they knew that they didn't truly need her to guide them, for they already knew where she wanted them to go. They could see it from here, that very place where she had taken her last breath after Sephiroth's sword had stabbed through her body…

_Cloud…_ There was no one else this could be more difficult for, and she could sense it only grew worse with every step he took, every step that took him closer and closer. In spite of that, he pressed on, fighting it with every ounce of his being, yet Tifa knew he was struggling more than anything else. But he would make it, she knew he would, if only for Aerith's sake.

The closer they came, though, the tougher it was for Tifa too, for her anticipation was building with every step, the same questions running through her head again and again. Just what was it that Aerith wanted of them? Why was she leading them here? What could her reasons be for having kept them waiting here all this time? Whatever it was, she could only hope that it would lend some explanation, some clue, to what was going on right now.

And then, they were on the ground level. They were walking through the many strange structures that made up this part of the underground, unnamable in what would have been their function when the Cetra were alive, yet still held that mystical, ancient power from millennia ago. In fact, though they appeared cold and lifeless, as she and Cloud strode through, she wondered if they really did contain residual energy from the Ancients who had once resided here, for she felt as if there were many eyes upon them, silent voices whispering back and forth all around them.

Truth be told, it did seem… livelier to her than the first time she had been here. Not livelier as in joy or revelry, obviously, but as if many beings that had been slumbering for ages were finally awake, and clamoring for their presence to be known. As if Tifa wasn't unsettled enough already by this place, and she knew Cloud could probably feel that presence as well.

And then, they saw her again. This time, it was no longer just a glimpse, or a fleeting vision. She seemed absolutely solid, solid as she had been when Cloud had last seen her walking away in the church, and just as solid as she had been when she had been praying at the altar, summoning Holy in the moments before her death. That just happened to be where she was waiting for them, too, just where they believed she had wanted them to go. She was not in the prayer position this time, however; instead, her back was to them, her hands clasped behind her while she stared up into the endless void beyond, just like she always used to do when she had been alive.

Even so, as Cloud and Tifa approached, their feet still proceeded with hesitation, unsure of the reality of this image. Though she looked so solid, and they so badly wanted to believe that it was Aerith, they still couldn't tell if it was an illusion or not. While she appeared to be completely unaware of their presence, barely turning around or acknowledging their approach, she did not fade away as they drew closer.

In fact, the closer they got to the altar, the more it seemed something was beginning to happen around them. At first, Tifa thought that there was something getting in her eyes, causing her surroundings to blur and go out of focus; it actually caused her to stop, rubbing her eyes to clear them of this anomaly, but it was then she realized it was not her vision at all. It was like a fog was settling around them, a haze full of blinding white light that gradually consumed and replaced the environment around them.

As the two crossed over the stepping stones and up the steps, some of the environment was still just barely visible, although the moment they stepped upon the altar itself, beneath the glass dome, everything changed. While the altar and the steps leading up to it remained, all else seemed to completely vanish, so it was as if they were standing upon a remote island in an infinite void of whiteness.

Tifa especially was taken off guard by the change, for this would be the first time she had ever been brought into this place. While she was no stranger to this dimension, as she had fallen into the Lifestream itself those two years ago, she had never been in a place like this before, surrounded by utter nothingness—the sense of desolation was almost overpowering.

Yet, she knew not to fear this place, for Cloud was here with her, and he had been here several times before now. That, and Aerith still stood before them, seemingly more real and solid than ever before. Upon their arrival, at last she turned to face them, and both Cloud and Tifa felt frozen in place with amazement as those vivid green eyes met theirs, when they hadn't in two years.

"Hello there," Aerith Gainsborough said, a glowing smile touching her lips. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

At that, a sort of numbness hit Tifa full on: her knees grew weak beneath her, and her breath left her for a brief moment when she realized the full scale of what was happening here. Aerith was here, she was speaking directly to them, when Tifa thought she would never be able to see or hear her again. Tifa had felt her presence at times, just as Cloud had, and that was how she had known she would always be watching over them and protecting them, even in death. But, even then, Tifa had come to accept Aerith's passing, and never thought that she would ever be face to face with her again. Especially like this.

Now that she was here, though, there was suddenly nothing more Tifa wanted to do than to run up and embrace her old companion, the Ancient she had come to befriend during that long journey. Aerith had been taken from them so swiftly and so abruptly that none of them had had the chance to say goodbye or exchange parting words, and so her death had been even more of a blow to them all. Yet, a part of Tifa refrained, for though Aerith stood there before them, she was still dead. She was still a part of the Lifestream, a world separate from theirs, and one which Tifa didn't belong to yet. It felt taboo to cross that line and do even so much as touch Aerith, if she even could. The realization made the reunion suddenly bittersweet.

Strangely enough, Tifa had the sudden notion that Aerith could read her thoughts, or at least feel her emotions, for those green eyes suddenly grew sad as they looked back at her. Then, to Tifa's bewilderment, she walked right up to her and pulled her into an embrace; it left her stunned, for Aerith truly felt so solid and so real, and yet the warmth of her body, the weight of her arms, somehow still felt so distant. She was here, yet not here at the same time.

Even then, though, this was more than Tifa could have asked for, if she could hold a dear friend, whom she thought would be gone forever, at least one more time.

"I'm so sorry, Tifa," Aerith whispered. "I'm so sorry I simply left everybody like that, without saying goodbye or anything… I just wanted to believe that I wouldn't have to, that I would make it back to you when it was all over. I didn't want to believe that I would most likely… die in my attempts to stop Sephiroth. But, I underestimated him."

_Aerith…_

The tears sprang to Tifa's eyes then, though she did her best to not let them escape. It was still difficult to speak, but she still wanted her to let her know that there was no way they could have predicted what Sephiroth would do, that there was nothing anyone would have been able to do about it. With the way things had turned out, maybe Aerith's sacrifice had been a necessity, as hard as that truth was to face…

As it seemed there was no bearing of time or space on this place, it was uncertain how long their embrace had lasted, but eventually they broke apart. While Tifa took the opportunity to dry her eyes, Aerith had stepped back to her previous spot so she could face the two of them again. The whole while, Cloud had looked on with nothing but sadness and silence. He too had many things to say to Aerith, to thank her for all that she had done and to gain that closure, but she had already known what he wanted to say. She already knew what he was feeling. Thus, there was nothing else he had to say to her, or anything he had to do.

Now, though, they all knew it was time that she told them what she had brought them here for.

"I'm sorry to have made you guys wait for so long," she said to them, when they were ready to proceed. "I know that things have taken a highly unexpected turn, things that you haven't been able to find explanations for, and you've been wanting answers. Well… I do know what's been going on. At least, I understand part of it. I'll do my best to explain as much as I can, but even then, it might take some time for you all to understand. That, and my time here is limited, for I have other matters to attend to in the Lifestream, and I have to return there soon."

"We'll… we'll do our best to understand, Aerith," Tifa responded, and Cloud nodded. "But, if we could have even a small idea of what's going on and what we need to do, that'll be enough. Whatever you can tell us, please do."

Aerith smiled then, reassuringly. "Don't worry, Tifa, I will. The last thing I want is to leave anybody in the dark, least of all you guys. Being stuck in the dark is a pretty unhealthy thing anyways, wouldn't you agree?"

As much as they wanted to laugh, like they always had with Aerith when she had said something to try and brighten their spirits, the solemnity of the reunion only got so much as a couple of smiles out of them. Besides that, Aerith wasn't her usual bubbly, cheerful self, the personality she had possessed even when she had come to assist Cloud over a week ago. Though it was still there, it now seemed to be overshadowed by worry and even fatigue—something truly serious must be happening if it was affecting Aerith like this. It made Cloud want to know all the more what was going on, if only so he could help her resolve this crisis and she could then rest in peace, just as she deserved.

Once again, she must have sensed his thoughts or his emotions, for she smiled at him again. "Really, Cloud, you're such a sweet person, but…" Her eyes lowered sadly then. "I'm afraid that this crisis isn't one that'll be abated easily. It's difficult for even Zack and I to do deal with, and I'm especially having a hard time understanding what the Planet's trying to do."

"Trying to do?" Cloud echoed.

"More like what it wants, or what it needs the most right now." Aerith gave a sudden huff of frustration. "It's like trying to deal with a sick child, really. You keep trying to help it out, asking what might be wrong with it, and it's doing its best to tell you, but it's not making any sense!"

"The Planet's still sick?" asked Tifa, suddenly alarmed. "Is it still tainted with Geostigma?"

"Even that I'm not entirely sure of," Aerith responded, calming down a little. "As far as I'm aware, the tainted Lifestream that Sephiroth was trying to use to control the Planet has been gradually thinning away ever since his defeat. Of course, that means traces of it still remain, but it may take a long while before it completely disappears. There are still people across the globe who are infected with Geostigma, after all."

"And Sephiroth's remnants are still alive…" muttered Cloud darkly. "Is that it, you think? Is it because of them that the Planet still believes something is wrong?"

"You'd think that that would be it, but it's not! Of course, that's one of the problems, but it's not the biggest problem, and that's probably what's confusing me most of all right now." She then unexpectedly smacked a hand to her forehead. "But oh, what am I doing, rambling on like this? I came here to tell you guys things I _do_ know so you have some clarity, not things I can barely comprehend myself!"

Now that was a little more like the Aerith they remembered. They would have again chuckled in response, but the solemnity of the situation, as well as Aerith's frustration, made them refrain. But again, Aerith sensed their thoughts, for she gave a little huff of exasperation.

"Guys, if you wanna laugh, laugh! You won't make me feel bad, honestly. As a matter of fact, right now, I could use a laugh too. Humor is what helps keep people sane, in my opinion, especially when they're under a lot of stress." When Cloud and Tifa's smiles only grew wan, she sighed and folded her hands behind her back again, relenting in her belittling. "Well, if you can't manage a laugh right now, I won't blame you. But whenever the opportunity arises, do squeeze in a laugh or two, all right? It'll make everybody feel better."

Widening his smile slightly, Cloud nodded. "We will, Aerith."

Beaming a little, Aerith's expression grew serious again. "Back to business, then! Where was I?" She took a moment to think, her fingers thoughtfully touching her chin, before continuing. "Oh, right! The things I _do_ know that you want to know too. Well, the easiest way for me to tell you is to answer the two biggest questions on your minds right now: why Sephiroth's remnants are still around, and the identity of that strange girl you saw helping them out."

Cloud and Tifa gave Aerith their complete attention immediately, tensing a little as they listened with great intent.

"Yep, the remnants were able to survive the explosion that they attempted to kill you with, Cloud. Just barely, though—it's incredible they were able to pull through at all, even if they did get a bit of help."

"Help?" Tifa reiterated, her chest suddenly tightening. "Help… from who? Who could possibly help them out? Was it—?"

"It wasn't the girl, no. I know for a fact she didn't come along until later, when she found one of them badly wounded in Midgar's ruins, but that's something I'll get to later." Aerith cleared her throat. "Anyway, the 'help' that they received… Well, it sure didn't fully revive them or anything, but it was enough that they were brought back from the brink of death."

"So then, who did it?" asked Cloud, and he wasn't surprised that his voice sounded apprehensive. If it weren't that girl, then that only left a few possible suspects, and none of them would be good news…

"You're right, Cloud. That leaves only a few possible suspects, doesn't it?" Aerith said aloud, probably for Tifa's sake in case she hadn't come to the same conclusion. "Well, I'm afraid to say it, but it's just who you think it is."

Cloud and Tifa both then felt as if an icy hand had clamped around their throats, sending chills of dread down their spines. It wasn't possible—it just couldn't possibly be true.

"That's right." Aerith's eyes then closed dolefully, and they realized then what must be the true cause of her distress. "Though you defeated him a week ago, Cloud, the threat hasn't been completely eliminated. Sephiroth—and Jenova—are still around."

* * *

It felt like such a long time since Loz or Yazoo had ever been so single-minded about their mission. Vaguely, they knew that being on the journey had certainly changed them—it wasn't just Mother that they would be thinking about. There had been Aurei and Kallie and the complex mysteries surrounding them. There had been their father. There had been enemies, both new and old, which they now had to contend with. There had been so much more than they could have ever imagined to what had once been their simple lives.

Yet, for now, that had all changed. Or so it seemed to them, at least.

_Mother…_

Now, it felt as though they had never met Aurei and Kallie. The journey that had taken them so long to reach here felt as though it had never happened. It was as if they had simply been transported from that moment before they had initiated the explosion that had nearly killed them, to now, where they stood upon a rooftop in Junon, the place they had been unconsciously guided to. All the anxiety and doubt that had plagued them, which had all intensified the closer they had come to Junon, their worries that Mother wouldn't be here, all that had since vanished.

They were back to their roots. They were back to their old selves again. They were back to the same Loz and Yazoo who had shot down the foolish intruders in the Northern Cave. They were the same Loz and Yazoo who had attempted to tear down the Meteor Monument in Edge's center, and they were the same Loz and Yazoo who had tried to take down Brother in a suicidal explosion, when it seemed all had been lost.

But, now not all was lost anymore. Mother was here, they were absolutely certain of it. Deep down, they knew she had to be here. She had directed them to this place, there was nowhere else she could be.

Truthfully, however, this return of such single-mindedness was a little frightening. Perhaps it was because it had been so long since they had last felt it, but it was almost as if they were in an entirely different plane of existence altogether. While Yazoo himself could barely remember what he had said to the two sisters, Loz could actually recall very little of what he had done since they had made their escape from the airship—even the concern he had felt for Aurei's condition seemed to have been washed away. The sensation was almost claustrophobic in a way, like being stuck in a narrow corridor, unable to look back behind him or turn in a different direction, only capable of going straight ahead.

That was all that was necessary for them, though, right? There was only just this one path that they had ever known, this single path that had been set before them. Perhaps it was just about time that they had returned to it; they had strayed from it for far too long.

_Mother… Where are you…?_

They knew it must have been her who had guided them to this spot; they would have no reason otherwise to be here. Likewise, neither had the slightest inclination to leave this spot, and it was such a strong desire to remain here that they knew with certainty this had to be it. This was where, at last, after so long, they would finally meet her. They would finally meet Mother.

But, where was she? They were here, they were _finally_ here in Junon, just as she had asked them. What could possibly be keeping her from reuniting with her children? No sooner would those questions arise, though, than their sensibility would return. She would have her reasons for keeping them waiting, surely, and they certainly weren't ones to question it. They were never to doubt anything she did or asked of them even for one second, for she was the only thing that they could place their utmost trust in.

Because then, if there wasn't her, then they had nothing to believe in. Their existence meant nothing without her.

_Mother…_

Their movements were almost synchronized as they looked about them from a rooftop in Junon, surveying this city full of those despicable, miserable humans. They knew she was here, they could almost _sense_ that she was nearby. But where, just _where_? Yazoo himself had believed that Mother wouldn't be so cruel as to leave them wandering aimlessly about the city in search of her, that she would give them some sign or indication, but was that just what she was going to do? Or had something happened to her that had rendered her unable to contact them, unable to reunite with them at all? No, it couldn't be that, it simply couldn't be…

_Mother, please…_

Then, when all began to feel lost, as the pangs of despair and desperation began to stem forth from their anticipation, and they couldn't bear to wait in anxiousness any longer, the first signs were given.

At first, the two thought they were imagining things, both with their eyes and ears, until it grew stronger and stronger, clear and more definitive, something that couldn't possibly be imagined. A strange, high-pitched tone that gradually began to reverberate in the air around them, becoming louder until it was enough that they wanted to cover their eardrums. At the same time, they knew there was no point in resistance. And then, something a bit more familiar: that bright white light, gradually descending upon them like a fog, shrouding them until nothing but whiteness surrounded them. They were truly apart from the world now, existing in the one and only place where they belonged.

Mother was here. And no longer simply a voice that spoke in their minds.

Before them, off in the distance it seemed, a shape had begun to appear—indistinct, yet still with form, growing ever clearer the closer the figure approached, emerging from the fog. As it drew nearer, all Loz and Yazoo could do was stand there, fixated to the spot, unable to remove their gaze from the figure. Whether it was by some greater outside force, or merely their own stupefaction, never had they been so entranced by anything before. Once the figure fully emerged from the haze to stand feet before them, and they could completely behold her visage, they utterly forgot themselves, for all they knew was the face before them.

**My children… **A faint, motherly smile touched those delicate lips. **Our reunion has been waiting for far too long.**

**

* * *

**

_Oh SNAP, will you look who it is! First we had Raide's mysterious boss, then Aerith finally shows herself, and now Mother herself has appeared…? It seems things are not going the way we thought they would, OR ARE THEY? We'll just have to see. :D_

_By the way, totally need to mention two other things I nearly forgot about: one is that I actually intend to go back to Chapter 23, I think it is, and write in a new little section from Yazoo's point of view. It might not be necessary, but I think it needs it, just to reveal his thoughts prior to the situation and whatnot; I felt there was something a little missing anyway. I was going to include it with this month's update, but I ran out of time, unfortunately, although hopefully it'll be up by next month! _

_As for the second thing, that happens to be… __**A ROLL CALL!**__ That's right, I really would like to know how many of my subscribers are active, and how many aren't! I know that some readers are indeed still reading, but just don't review, and while that's perfectly fine with me, reviews are honestly the only way I know that people are still reading. I do have a hit counter, but it's really not all that useful, and it especially don't indicate specific readers. Also, there are a bunch of people who subscribed to me before my nearly yearlong hiatus, and while I know some of them are still reading (which makes me happy), I don't know how many of them aren't. So please, if you could leave a review or send even a PM, I would really appreciate that. It doesn't even have to be long or anything, just something to let me know you're still around. :)_

_And that's about it for now, I think. Next time, we return to the ultimate showdown, for REAL, and it's time for Kallie to get her vengeance against Raide. Or will she? See you next month, guys. :D_


	26. Reunions

_First off… Um, I hope that those two who responded to my __**Roll Call**__ last chapter aren't the only ones who are still reading. XD I mean, I'm sure there are others, and I really hope there are, but it does make me nervous when so few people respond, heh. I understand if you come to read occasionally, so in that case I think I'll do a __**Roll Call**__ (yes I keep bolding that, it catches people's attention better!) at the start and end of every one of the last chapters, just to make sure I can round up as many idle readers as possible. Of course, if you responded last time, you need not respond again._

_In other news… The teasing from the last chapter is over, and it's finally time for the long-awaited confrontation between Kallie and Raide! It seems that she is too late to rescue May, but can she still reign victorious over her half-brother? Also, Aerith and Mother have at last shown themselves, but what do they know about this new situation? You can find out… in this new update! :D_

_Yeah, I'm done now, lol._

**IGNIS FATUUS: EMBERS**

**Chapter 26**

_Reunions_

At last, at long last, the opportunity Kallie had been waiting for had arrived—the chance to lay vengeance upon her half-brother.

Though she couldn't be certain what the future held, and she certainly couldn't be certain if this was the final battle, she was going to treat it as if it was. It felt as if everything she had been doing thus far on this journey had been preparing her for this moment, this confrontation, when she would finally face her half-brother on the field of battle. A part of her did tell her that there was more to come, and that well may be, but for now, this was all she knew. It was time to make Raide pay for all of this.

"I'm gonna make you pay, you _bastard_," Kallie growled threateningly at him. "I'm gonna make you pay for everything you've done!"

The already blazing anger within her was brought her blood to a boiling point when that smirk Raide had been wearing the whole while widened, and he burst into laughter.

"Really now, is that any way to greet your half-brother, after it's been _so_ long?" He barely appeared fazed by the glares both sister were directing his way, merely regarding them with a haughty disposition. "Same goes for you, _Aurei_, and we never even had the pleasure of meeting before."

"Perhaps. It was about time we met, I suppose." Nonetheless, Aurei's voice was even frostier than usual; she clearly wasn't going to be putting up with his cocky attitude. "But, you fail to exceed my expectations—you're just as much of a delinquent scoundrel as I assumed you'd be."

"You don't exceed mine neither, sis," he sneered right back. "_You're_ just as much of an emotionless robot as I was told you'd be. Maybe you're the strongest of us all, but it sucks to have no personality, y'know?"

Aurei's eyes flickered dangerously. "Enough with your taunts, Raide. They're certainly not helping your station."

Raide only began to snicker again. "What, that I'm a delinquent scoundrel? No, wait, I think Kallie put it even better."

"That you're a bastard?" she snapped. "That's 'cause you are, and you know it!"

"Oh, _tell_ me about it." The malevolence was truly there in his voice. "I've only known since the day I was born… and I know dear _Father_ would know all 'bout it too."

If there was anything Kallie had learned about her sister, it was that any sort of insult towards their father was the only thing that could anger her, and that was certainly the case once more. Fury flitted across her face, and a blast of coldness emanated from her like a frigid breeze, though it was something that chilled them more on the inside than externally. This time, however, she showed better restraint over herself, for the aura lasted only briefly and soon faded away, and her expression merely hardened into determination again, yet her grip had visibly tightened on her chain-sickle, her hands actually trembling slightly. It was obvious that she wasn't about to let Raide's goading get to her, yet perhaps it was a bit late for that, as their half-brother had visibly discovered what could touch her nerves.

"Well, guess you got a bit of a personality after all, sis. But, you sayin' that you actually _care_ about that screw-up? That lyin', cheatin' asshole who's _responsible_ for abandonin' my ma and makin' this mess?"

Another wave of fury that Aurei appeared to barely contain washed over her, although this time she wasn't the only one feeling it.

"_Shut it_, you son of a bitch."

Kallie couldn't say she claimed to know what had happened so long ago, what had gone down when Emery Driessen had committed his adultery and caused the separation of their family; somehow, she had a feeling Aurei didn't know either. Kallie definitely couldn't say she felt as strongly about their father as Aurei did, and she wasn't about to defend him either for what he had done.

Yet, nonetheless, she couldn't condone Raide's name calling, for that was not what their father was like. He was a kind man, a parent who truly seemed to care for his children, and was sincerely sorry about what he had done. All he wanted was forgiveness…

Besides, this was simply low of Raide, to be hurling nothing but insults at them, merely for the satisfaction of seeing them hurt and angered by his words. She had come all this way to confront this bastard for what he had done, not to be taunted and hear his lowly insults!

"Y'too, now?" he asked, turning to her; his lip actually curled slightly, as if in disgust. "Ya also got brainwashed by his lies, just so he could keep ya on his side?"

Strangely enough, his comment made her smirk, though merely out of complacency that she was above his insults.

"Brainwashing? Lies? I dunno about any of that, but what I _do_ know—" She furiously pointed a chakram at him. "Is that if all you can do is run your damn mouth, then you really are pathetic! What, afraid to actually _fight_ us?"

Silently, he regarded her again, before looking away with a chuckle.

"You're right, there's been a bit much chit-chat going on, huh? That's not what we came here for, ain't it? Nah, we're here to do what siblings do best—_fight_." The blade of his sword suddenly briefly glowed, sparking, with electricity, and the two sisters braced themselves. "'Sides, after all this time, I just been _dyin'_ to know how strong you two really are—'specially _you_, Kallie_._ Let's get this started already!"

Had it not been for that exclamation, Kallie would have probably been ill-prepared for Raide's swift assault; instead, she was just in time to dodge out of the way of his charged sword, although even then his incredible speed kept her on her toes. As she parried one blow after the other, it did become clear to her that he probably wasn't even going at his quickest rate, like he was simply toying with her. Not to mention that, even though she did manage to block him, she would nonetheless receive an electric every time from his charged blade; though she tried to ignore the pain, attempting to let her anger and her determination wash away everything else, already the battle didn't seem to be going well for her. Raide was aware of it himself, for she could see it in that despicable face, grinning with complacency at her dismay…

Luckily, she didn't have to put up with the hopeless situation for long—in the split second Raide was about to swing his sword again, a familiar chain suddenly came flying into view and wrapped around the blade. While Aurei attempted to yank the weapon out of his hands, his grip was strong enough that he managed to hold on; he actually managed to grab the chain itself and send a jolt of electricity along it, though Aurei countered it with a wave of her own Ice magic. Somehow, instead of the two powers neutralizing or canceling each other out, the two different magic elements became locked in a power struggle, one attempting to overwhelm the other.

It was then, while Raide was distracted in trying to fend off his eldest sister's assault, that Kallie saw her opportunity to strike, to tip the scales in that momentary standoff. With barely any hesitation, only taking a moment to consider her next move, she dashed towards him, her chakrams aflame. Raide saw her coming, though because he was still clinging to his sword, which Aurei was still struggling to rip out of his hands, there was little he could do to evade her onslaught.

The only option he was left with was to relinquish his sword, actually allowing her to tear the weapon from his grasp and fling it several yards away, though that didn't leave him entirely defenseless. Utilizing his super-fast speed, he dodged out of the way of Kallie's attack, as well as Aurei's when she tried to hit him with another Ice spell. Yet, even before he made his next swift move, they realized in an instant what he intended to accomplish, and they rushed towards him as he made his mad dash towards the sword Aurei had tossed away.

Seeing this, Raide suddenly pulled a move that neither of them were expecting: as they were approaching from either side of him, he stretched out both his hands in their respective directions, firing a jolt of electricity at each of them that actually seemed to grab them and toss them aside. Though they managed to conjure auras of their own elemental magic around themselves, allowing protection from the worst of Raide's attack, they were still thrown back, and their foe succeeded in reclaiming his lost weapon, leaping backwards to face Aurei and Kallie again.

Effective though Raide's technique might have been, however, they could see that already the battle was having its toll on him. While they were all breathing hard after that short, yet intense skirmish, he was panting more heavily than either of them, wiping away his sweat on the sleeve of his jacket; even his grasp on his sword appeared weaker than before.

"So, it seems that while you possess the same magical capacity as either of us…" Sensing a slight lull in the fighting, Aurei had relaxed her battle slightly, readjusting her grip on her sickle-chain, though never took her eyes off their opponent. "You don't have quite that same amount of physical stamina, do you?"

Despite his shortage of breath, Raide chuckled. "Yeah, y'could say that again. I've always been a scrawny weakling, always got called that as a kid—'til I found out about my abilities, o'course. Knowin' that, it was prob'ly stupid of me to even think of taking on you two by myself, huh?"

"Damn right it is," Kallie growled at him.

"So then, in your current position, you wouldn't object to a treaty of sorts now, would you, Raide?"

That definitely caught both Kallie and Raide off guard, and they both stared at their older sister, baffled. For a brief moment, the former forgot her anger and the latter his arrogance and complacency, though that didn't last for long.

"What're ya going on about?" While he had regained his complacent attitude, their was an air of suspicion in his voice.

"Are you _insane_, Aurei?" After everything that their journey and her training had amounted to, Kallie couldn't believe her sister was suggesting this! "You're actually hoping to _reason_ with this jerk into _not_ fighting us, after _everything_ he's done to deserve getting his ass kicked? Look at him, he's just asking for it!"

"I am, ain't I?" His pride was quick to return. "I mean, I've been insultin' our entire family _includin'_ Daddy, right?"

Fleetingly, it seemed as though Aurei might reconsider what she had said, for anger flashed across her features again, though her self-control won out. "I myself thought that a battle would be the best reception for you, Raide, but I've seen all I need to of you. You're much weaker than I expected you to be, and I see no point in continuing our fight when defeat is so clearly imminent for you. You might want to consider backing down now, otherwise you'll be choosing a much more painful route."

Raide broke into derisive laughter again. "It ain't like anybody had any expectations of me to begin with, so why start now? You surprise _me_, Aurei—of all things, I never thought you'd be a pacifist. Maybe it's _you_ who's scared to lose, eh?"

"Hardly, especially not to you. Perhaps I'm not a pacifistic individual, but I am certainly a rational one, and I see no need for unnecessary bloodshed."

"Suit yourself, but that damn sure still sounds like cowardice to me." His smirk was as gleefully complacent as ever. "Well, it's clear how you feel, but what about our sister here? I don't think she's quite willin' to call it quits—after all, she's still got her reasons for wantin' to beat the shit outta me. Don't ya, Kallie?"

On cue, her fury flared into existence all over again. "You're damned right I do! I'll _never_ forgive you for taking May away from me! Where the hell is she? What the hell have you _done_ with my cousin?"

"Relax, sis, I told ya I wouldn't let _anythin'_ happen to her, and I've been a man of my word. She's still alive, don't worry about that, in someplace safe."

"_Someplace_, huh?"

"Yeah." He started to chuckle again. "Someplace where you'll _never_ find her."

Raide's tongue seemed to be an even more viable weapon than his sword: not only had he said the right thing to touch Aurei's nerves, he knew just how to set Kallie off too. Except, for the latter, he was much more effective—she merely stood there for a moment, seething, glaring at him, before she charged at him in a practically blinded, senseless rage.

Whether or not he had been anticipating that reaction barely seemed to matter, for he appeared startled nonetheless at her outburst of raw power, exerted in both the fiery aura that surrounded her and the strikes with her chakrams as she pummeled him with blow after furious blow, attacking with all the strength she could muster. Though he blocked, dodged, and darted away from her as best as he could, amazingly enough she was actually keeping up with him. In all her incredible newfound prowess, however, Kallie was just as terrifying in her overwhelming anger—perhaps even slightly inhuman, especially with the blazing veil that swirled in waves around her.

"Kallie!" Aurei cried at her, both astonished and dismayed to see her sister lose control like this. "Kallie, get a hold of yourself!"

Yet, Kallie would have none of that. Long ago, when all of this had startled, before she had even known about her powers, she had vowed to hurt Raide as much as she possibly could—she had even sworn to kill him if it was the last thing she would ever do. The latter, of course, she realized wouldn't do her much good in this situation now, but whatever means she had to get information out of Raide, she _would_ use. Damn Aurei and her suggestions for peace, her urgings for self-control—if she didn't want to fight, then Kallie would be the one to punish him instead!

It just might seem that Kallie would have the vengeance she sought too, for the tide appeared to have turned drastically in her favor. Though she felt the burn of fatigue throughout her body soon enough, it wasn't enough to stop her from at last knocking Raide's sword arm aside; in the opening that she created, she was able to land a flaming spell into his chest, sending him flying across the rooftop until he collided with the wall on the other side.

Staggering, he managed to pull himself up until he was kneeling on one knee, his free hand clutching at the spot where Kallie's spell had struck him, which was still smoking slightly. Yet, he had only pulled himself up so far when Kallie suddenly appeared before him, her chakram raised in threatening preparation to land another blow as she glared menacingly at him.

"So, is that what it'll take to get ya to fight your best?" While he hardly seemed fazed as usual by her anger, his expression wasn't all that cocky anymore. "If that's the case, maybe I shoulda brought that up _sooner_."

"Tell me where the hell she is." She had hardly seemed to hear him; her voice had become a scarily gravelly register, demanding the information she wanted from him. "Tell me what the _hell _you've done with her. I don't give a damn if you're my half-brother or not—tell me _everything_, or regret it."

"Make me 'regret' it, eh? That'll take an effort. Seein' how you've beaten the snot outta me, though, maybe I oughta start listenin' to you."

"Please do," Aurei spoke up, her voice calm as ever, though still underlined with the urgency of the situation. "It would really make everything easier for you if you'd just —"

"Cut the bullshit and answer me, Raide!" her sister abruptly interrupted, barely removing her glare from Raide and again barely hearing Aurei's words. "_Where the hell is May?"_

There was a lull as Raide merely stared back, obviously contemplating whether or not to actually tell her something or continue with his goading, yet Kallie wasn't going to take silence as an answer either. Once again, Raide found himself knocked backwards against the wall behind him from a punch she had dealt him, although this time she had freed her hand of a chakram in order to grab him by the scruff of his collar, holding him there with newfound strength.

"You just don't _get it_, do you?" Despite the fact that her voice had grown soft, so even Aurei who stood nearby could barely hear her, her wrath towards their half-brother was still prominent above all else. "You just don't _get_ how much May means to me… She's everything, _everything_, to me… She's all that I have left… And then you, _you_, had to come and take her away from me." Kallie's fury suddenly returning in full force, she actually slammed Raide against the wall, her grip on him still firm as her eyes bored into his again. "I don't give a damn about our powers! I don't give a damn about those serpents or their master, or who the hell you're working for! I don't give a damn about any of it! All I want is to get May back!"

While there were no trading of blows, parries, or spells between the two siblings, the conflict nevertheless raged on—the hatred and contempt they shared was so strong one might be able to see the sparks crackling between their gazes. Standing nearby as a witness to this silent battle, Aurei herself thought she could see it. Yet, while she had half a mind to intervene and break up the fight just like the big sister she was, she hesitated, wondering if Kallie's anger might actually be enough to pry the information they were looking for out of him.

It didn't take long, though, before Aurei knew she was kidding herself. From what she had seen and heard of Raide's personality, nothing could possibly threaten or frighten him enough into getting something sincere out of him. No amount of pain or peril would be able to affect him, for he was truly a boy who had nothing to lose. Sure enough, he only regarded her silently again before that dreaded smirk reappeared.

"Bit slow on the uptake, ain't ya, Kallie? I ain't intent at all 'bout tellin' where's May right now." Kallie's grip on his collar tightened even more, yet it was obvious by now that wasn't going to do her any good. "But y'know what? Ya impressed me enough by now that I can tell ya one thing: your attitude's the wrong kinda one you should be taking 'bout all this."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" she hissed back at him.

"You not givin' a damn 'bout all this, that's what I mean. Sorry to say, sis, you're gonna have to give a damn 'bout it all. You're gonna have to give a _big_ damn."

"I _told_ you I don't care! I don't care what this all means! I just wanna be with May, that's all I care about!"

"Tough luck, sis, that ain't gonna happen."

"Not if _I've_ got something to say about it! Why don't you quit telling me your little lies, you punk?"

"I ain't lyin'. That's just how it's gonna be from now on."

"Shut _up_—!"

Immediately, she angrily raised a fist to assail him again, yet just as she was about to bring it down on his head, Kallie was abruptly thwarted when Raide actually grabbed her wrist. It only took her a moment of struggling against him to realize she couldn't break free of his grip, and in the next second she gritted her teeth to stop herself from crying out as a pulse of electricity raced through her. Though Kallie might have beaten Raide down, the fight hadn't quite left him yet.

"Really, Kallie, ya might wanna be the one who shuts up this time," he said to her, in a low yet dangerous murmur. "'Cuz if ya'd just _listen_ to me, I actually might tell ya something or other of importance—and it does concern little May."

"It's about time, then," she murmured back through a set jaw, still attempting to free herself from Raide's grip while maintaining her own on his jacket. "So spit it out."

"I will, if ya promise to let go of me, and I'll let ya go too."

After glaring back for a few seconds, Kallie finally relinquished her hold on Raide (though not without slamming him a little against the wall one more time), and he released his grip on her arm. Grabbing her other chakram again, she only took a few steps back from him, raising her weapon in warning. Rising to his feet at last, Raide brushed off his jacket once, rolling his shoulders with an almost casual sigh.

"That's so much better," he mumbled, before meeting Kallie's blazing gaze again. "What was I sayin' again…? Oh yeah, important stuff you'd wanna know about May. Well, _other_ than where she is right now, got anythin' you were wonderin' 'bout?"

"Why the hell did you even want to kidnap her?" she growled impatiently at him. "Can you at least tell me that much, because she didn't deserve to be dragged into this mess in the first place!"

"Too true, she really didn't. But, kidnappin' her were my orders, and I gotta follow 'em."

"Orders, you say?" Having been merely watching the two of them up to this point, Aurei had finally seen the opportunity to speak up now that Raide was going to talk. "So, you really have been working for someone all this time, and that someone happens to be the summoner of those serpents, correct?"

Raide chuckled. "Duh. I'd have to call ya a dimwit if ya hadn't figured that out by now."

"Then, _why?_ What the hell did they want with May?"

"As ransom, obviously. My boss wanted somethin' that'd drag ya out into the open, and boy did it sure work! But, to let ya in on a little secret…" Raide chuckled again, though more balefully this time. "There's a lot more to May than just bein' a little ransom."

"What bigger role could May possibly play in this?" asked Aurei. "She's a mere innocent child."

"A 'mere child', huh? I don't think you'd wanna be underestimating little May like that, Aurei. In fact, I think Kallie might've underestimated her all this time too."

"What the hell do you mean by that!"

"I mean, there could just be more to your cousin than meets the eye." Raide's smug arrogance, in knowing more about the situation than any of them, had never been more prevalent. "After all… she just might have some special abilities of her own."

* * *

She was here. She was finally here, right before their own eyes. At last, they had found her—or rather, she had found them. It mattered not, however, by what means they had reunited, for they were finally with her, and there was no one else it could possibly be.

Though Loz or Yazoo had hardly ever tried to envision Mother's physical appearance, for they could barely care about what she looked like, the image of her that they viewed now was nonetheless what they would have expected it to be. While it seemed she stood directly before them, somehow part of her still appeared to be distant, remaining far away in the shroud of the fog from which she had emerged. Her torso, while distinctly feminine in figure, was still only vaguely discernable, and her legs and arms could scarcely be seen at all, although occasionally they thought they could catch glimpses of those phantom limbs in that shroud.

Yet, even if her body was lacking in definitive shape, the immense clarity with which they could perceive the features of her face was more than ample compensation. It was only that part of her which mattered the most to them, especially that long silver hair which flowed around her, cascading over her form like water and partially obscuring one side of her face. Even her eyes were the same bright emerald green as theirs, though hers shone with an even more radiant energy and lacked the slit pupils.

To them, however, what was perhaps the most striking aspect of at last seeing her face was the strange sense of familiarity it stirred within them. Somehow, it was not the first time that they had seen that face; they had laid eyes upon it once before, in a distant past that they had not lived. With all the strength they possessed, they had effortlessly torn away the accursed metal covering that hid her from their view, at last revealing her form to them. Though she appeared inanimate, still, and even lifeless, she nonetheless seemed to stare right back at them from the glass tank in which she resided. They remembered reaching a hand towards her, to finally touch the mother from which they had been separated from for so long…

But, it was then that the memory faded, and tried though they might, they could not recall what had happened next. Still, it mattered not to them, for it presented the last remaining proof they needed: this was her, it really _was_ Mother. The face that had stared back at them from within the tank was the same face that gazed at them now, except now she appeared more alive, even more real, than she had then, especially with the soft, motherly smile that touched those delicate lips.

**My children… Our reunion has been waiting for far too long.**

When they heard those words spoken to them, it seemed to completely steal their breath away upon realizing that their mission—thus far—had been accomplished. They were struck dumb in that moment, stunned and speechless, feeling unable to barely move even a muscle. In front of the very being that their very existence was completely centered around, what were they to do or say? There was absolutely nothing they could say; all they could do was stare in awe, waiting breathlessly for _her_ to speak again. Her eyes swept slowly over them once more, meeting both of their gazes before she smiled faintly.

**Little can convey how glad I am that you are here. **In the midst of her power, this realm of existence, it seemed her voice spoke more to their minds than to their ears. **I know that the journey was a long and arduous one, and you encountered many unexpected obstacles that might have otherwise thwarted you… yet still, you came.**

"O-of course we did." Even if it was shaky, Loz was amazed that he could get a voice out at all he was so awed at her presence. "Nothing c-could ever stop us from being with you, Mother."

Besides, she was _happy_ that they were here, she was _happy_ that they had made it. She herself had said it, and they could sense that Loz's statement had made her even gladder.

**I am aware of that, Loz, and the devotion you both show towards me is all I can ask for.** While her voice was as loving as ever in its placidity, it was not long before her tone grew grave, as it had when she had first spoken to them outside of Aurei's home. **Though I wish we could speak for longer, my sons, I fear that our time together here is limited. The little power I possess now will only be enough to keep you here for a short while, so that I might tell you all that you must know.**

At hearing this, it too saddened them that, despite all it had taken to get here and how incredible it was that they had at last met her, they still could only be together for so long. Yet, to them, even if they got to be with her for only even a fraction of a second, it was still more than worth it. That, and they knew that, if they were to do all that she asked of them, and their mission was to succeed, then their reward could only be that they would be with her forever… right?

No, that could be the only outcome, and without her even needing to tell them, they knew it was so. Merely nodding their understanding of the situation, Mother's smile flickered back for a moment before she continued.

**I must also express my gladness that you agreed to create an alliance with those two sisters, and I am sure that you have seen how well they have assisted you.**

_They were the reason we were able to make it here, after all_, Yazoo silently admitted to himself, despite the fact that he suspected Mother could easily read his thoughts. Even if she could, though, she carried on serenely without acknowledging what had been on his mind.

**Though I did not doubt their usefulness, they have certainly exceeded my expectations of how willing they were to help you. Clearly, even Aurei did not anticipate just how formidable their—and your—adversaries would be.**

**For that reason, it is without a shred of uncertainty that I ask you remain with them for the duration of your mission, or until I command that you separate. Do not be doubtful of them, Yazoo**, she said, this time responding to the displeasure said son had internally reacted with. **Kalina was an annoyance to you initially, yet she has still proved herself to you, has she not?**

While Yazoo again said nothing, he could not deny that it was the first time anyone had been able to make him feel abashed, though he still could not help but lift his chin to hide the fact that his pride had been stricken.

**Very well, although I can tell you still have questions, and I shall do my best to answer. Where to next, you wonder? As you are to still follow Aurei and Kalina, their next destination shall be your next destination, and though I do not know for certain at this point… I believe it shall be Gongaga.**

"Gongaga?" echoed Loz.

**Yes. I believe that may be where Kalina's young cousin, the one who she so desperately seeks, has been taken. She is not here in Junon, I know that much, although the boy who kidnapped her, Raide, is. In fact, he and his half-sisters have met at last and are currently engaged in combat as we speak. Undoubtedly, Kalina will not be pleased to learn that she will not yet be able to reunite with her cousin, as it remains her primary objective.**

**Although, if I am not mistaken… even she must have realized by now that, even if she can rescue her cousin, it shall not be the end of the journey for her. There is so much more that is yet in store for her—so much more. And not just for her, but for Aurei and even Raide as well.**

"What… do you mean by that, Mother?"

Mother's tranquil expression transcended into a mysterious smile. **Is it not obvious, Yazoo? For Kalina, at least, this has become far more than a simple rescue mission, and she must certainly be aware of that fact by now.**

That still didn't appease Yazoo's intrigue, however. "Then, what more lies in store for them?"

"Does it have to do… with the materia they've got inside of them?"

**Indeed. **Loz looked slightly taken aback that his guess had been correct. **The materia that is integrated with their very flesh and spirit has more purpose than they have ever imagined— perhaps only Aurei is aware of such a notion. After all, was it by mere whimsical chance that three **_**pathetic**_** humans would have been granted such incredible abilities?**

The sudden anger in her voice both startled and even frightened the two brothers—until this point she has been incredibly calm, even loving. Yet, even when they had first laid eyes upon her, they could see that, beneath her tranquil benevolence and hauntingly beautiful visage, lay her true nature: an otherworldly being of great and terrible power, possessing a deadly potency in spite of her weak, fragile state. It left them awestruck that such a creature could be their mother, and what was especially terrifying was her hatred of humanity.

**The reason for their creation is a mystery even I cannot fathom.** Like a phantom, her anger had vanished, leaving behind barely any trace in the return of her serenity. **They are truly one-of-a-kind; no being like them has ever existed in the history of this world. What they possibility might be may forever remain unknown, yet **_**I **_**yearn to know.**

**That is another reason why I ask you to travel with them. **Her gaze focused sharply upon them. **To learn what purpose they—and their materia—will serve in their lifetime. Clearly, it must be something that is significant, yet what? The materia that they infused with, after all, are far beyond any existing ordinary materia.**

**That is right,** she said, upon sensing their growing bewilderment. **No simple, ordinary materia that any human could use could have possibly given them the abilities that they possess. Though that materia is constructed of the same basic elemental magic—Fire, Ice, and Lightning—even they are unique. Those three materia have been around for a very long time, perhaps for centuries or even millennia, that much I am certain of. Surely you have seen that for yourselves, have you not?**

They had. Ever since they had witnessed examples of both Kallie and Aurei's powers, and especially once they had learned the source of those abilities, something had told them there was far more to those powers than they had ever realized—Yazoo most of all had come to suspect that. Even then, however, that hadn't prevented him from significantly underestimating both of the sisters as much as he had, and he probably hadn't been expecting much of the half-brother either.

Nonetheless, there was still no one he had underestimated more than the orange-haired girl. With every passing day, there was yet something else he would discover about her that would, slowly but surely, affect his opinion of her. Yazoo wasn't certain, though, if he welcomed that change or not.

**I do not blame you, Yazoo, for having underestimated them as you have. In spite of their unnatural powers, they still retain the appearance and behavior of common humans. Perhaps only Aurei is an exception, as she has been exposed to the influence of her materia the longest, yet even she fights to retain her normalcy.**

**Although, for them all… that may not be the case for much longer.**

"What does that mean, Mother…?" This time, though Yazoo was wondering the same thing, Loz was the one to ask that question.

**Do you not realize…? While they have carried these materia within them since before their birth, and though they have all utilized their powers to a significant extent, only now shall their powers truly begin to reveal themselves. It will affect more than they could have ever possibly imagined it would, in mind, body, **_**and**_** soul. With both recent occurrences and those that have yet come to pass, the true nature of their power shall be revealed.**

"Do you know what sort of changes will they be?" Though Yazoo couldn't say he was particularly concerned with how the three siblings would feel about these changes, something about the fact it would be a change far more than any of them expected did unsettle him. "Is it something that Loz and I can prepare ourselves for?"

**The information that I have just imparted to you should be sufficient preparation, should it not?** (Once again, Yazoo felt abashed by Mother's words, gently though they were spoken.) **I know not myself what these changes may be, yet their extremity is inevitable. The fusion of a human and a materia is unnatural enough as it is; between the two, one can hardly expect a harmonious connection. What that may result in is something only time shall be able to tell.**

"We'll find out for you, Mother." Though he had been shaken by this revelation, Loz seemed incredibly determined all of a sudden. "We'll find out what'll happen to Aurei and Kallie and their brother, and why the Planet wanted to create them, just like you—"

Suddenly, Mother suddenly broke into laughter as they've never heard or expected from her before, and all that they could feel was an ominous sense of foreboding at the truth she was about to reveal.

**Those three, creations of the Planet? Why, that is a misunderstanding I must bring clarity to.**

Yazoo frowned quizzically. "Are they not creations of the Planet, Mother? That can be—"

**Though it seems that way, and though they were most likely created in the Lifestream itself, the Planet never intended for beings like them to ever exist. No… their origin is yet another mystery, yet it is no mystery that the Planet does not even want them.**

"What…?"

**Just as the Planet seeks to destroy you, so it seeks their termination as well. To the Planet, like you… they are considered abominations. **

* * *

Their worst fears had been confirmed. Though their suspicion about whether or not Sephiroth and Jenova were truly destroyed had been growing ever since the events of a few days ago, now that their persisting dread and anxiety had been validated, there was little that could replace the dismay that they now felt—at least, for Tifa. In Cloud's case, his anger was soon greater than his disconcertion.

_Damn you, Sephiroth…_ When would he finally accept his death and cease attempting to revive himself?

"I know, I don't like it anymore than you two do," Aerith sighed, seeming even wearier now that she had revealed that unpleasant truth. "And Zack and I are pretty much the only ones who can deal with it right now. But, as you know, that's just how Sephiroth is. Even though his mentality has certainly evolved from the primitive mindset of his 'mother', his basic instincts still remain the same: to survive by any means possible for as long as he possibly can. That's how Jenova was able to live for so long; it was probably eons old before 'she' even came to this Planet."

Tifa looked paler than usual with worry. "Does this mean that Jenova itself is still around too?"

"Its essence, at least, though it's really hard to say. Jenova can assume many different forms, after all, and can manifest itself even as pure, simple instinct, like we see in Sephiroth and the remnants. 'She' lives on through her 'sons', that much I'm sure of, and getting rid of every last trace of her will definitely be easier said than done."

"But, _will_ it be possible?" asked Cloud, almost desperately. They had come so close to destroying both Sephiroth and Jenova so many times now, there just had to be a way to put an end to them once and for all.

Thankfully, Aerith smiled. "When there's a will, there's a way, right? I also think that we're close to finally bringing their ultimate end, but as I said, it's going to be difficult. Jenova and Sephiroth are on their last legs, we can thankfully say, but because of that, they'll be fighting back more than they ever have before. And this time, it seems that they have a few unprecedented tricks up their sleeves too."

Cloud knew what that could only mean. "You… mean that girl, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Her smile faded into pensiveness. "But, she brings an entirely new side to this story. That one glimpse you had of her, Cloud… Well, let's just say there's much more to her than you ever though. Much, _much_ more. What's more, she's not the only one of her kind who's helping out the remnants."

Thus, it was then Aerith finally gave them the answers they had been seeking for so long, all that they had been wondering about the enigmatic girl, and more. She told them that her name was Kallie, that her cousin had been kidnapped and that was how she had come to seek the remnant's assistance, having come across a week previous, weak and wounded, in Midgar's ruins. She told them about the siblings Kallie had been separated from for a very long time, with one of them actually being the kidnapper himself, while the other had become another ally to the remnants. She even told them of the Turks' ambush in the Mythril Mines and their otherworldly assistants, causing the group to have been briefly separated and only reuniting earlier today.

Of course, that narrative was only the half of it. What proved to be the most compelling and unsettling information of all was when she told them that the three siblings were far from ordinary human beings. Disbelief like none other crossed their faces as Aerith told them of the materia fused with their very bodies, giving them incredible magical and almost superhuman abilities. As Mother had said to her children, even Aerith was aware that no beings like them had ever existed on the Planet before, though was as equally mystified by their true purpose.

When Aerith had finished, expectedly, all Cloud and Tifa could do was stand there in stunned silence, absorbing all that they had heard. As the Ancient had suspected, neither of them had ever thought there so would be so much to the seemingly ordinary orange-haired girl, nor could they believe that all these new twists had been taking place during their vigilance in the Forgotten City.

_Is it… really possible…?_ Though Cloud could never question or doubt anything Aerith told him, it was still difficult for him to believe it, and here he thought he had seen it all. So did Tifa, who was having just as hard a time processing it all as he was.

"It's a lot to take in, I know," Aerith said sympathetically, sensing their bewilderment. "But, all of this has occurred so recently that even Zack and I are having a hard time making sense of it all. That's why I wanted you and everyone else to wait, both here and at the Northern Crater. We had to observe their actions, see just what they were going to do and what they're capable of, before anyone could make a move."

"But… I didn't see _anything_ strange about her." While Cloud had certainly heard Aerith, he was still wrapped up in his confusion about this girl named Kallie. "She threw a _stone_ at me in order to distract me… If she has such power, then why—?"

"At that point, she didn't know anything about her powers; Kallie wasn't even aware at the time that she actually had a materia inside of her. But, I don't think she was entirely ignorant either. A week before then, there were actually a couple incidents where she accidentally released some of her power, including during the Shadow Creeper attack in Edge, though probably had no idea that she'd been the cause. It was only later that day, after you saw her in Midgar, that she reunited with her sister in Kalm and found out everything then."

"Then, what about those other siblings?" Tifa finally spoke up, though her voice was rather shaky. "How long how they've been aware of their powers?"

"Much longer than Kallie, I know that much. Raide, the half-brother, has been aware for about two or three years, and Aurei for nearly seven, which definitely makes her the most experienced of them all.

"How have they managed to keep such powers a secret for so long?" she asked, sensing that the same question was on both of their minds. "Simple enough: they've kept the usage of their powers down to a minimum, making it look like they're only using ordinary magic materia, and people never questioned it as a result. With everything that's been happening lately, though, now they're finally unleashing the full extent of their powers, and it's finally at the point where the Planet has considered them a threat."

At this, Cloud frowned concernedly. "A threat? Are they really that dangerous?"

"If things get out of hand… then yeah, they could be. Though I can't really say that they act like normal people, they're definitely not as ruthless or inhuman as the remnants are." She suddenly chuckled. "Even if one of them threw a stone at you, Cloud, they still have some sense of morality, and their intentions for the most part are still good. Only Raide is an exception, since he still has quite a few… unruly tendencies."

"But, will we… have to fight them?"

"As I said before…" Sadness spread over Aerith's face again. "Should they begin to show signs of being a threat, and start using their powers in malevolent, harmful ways, then we've got no other choice.

"It just… It saddens me that it might turn out like that, because they never wanted to be in this situation. Because of the materia within them, they've been ill-fated before they were even born; from the very beginning they've had no control over their lives. On top of all that, they've already faced so much tragedy in their pasts. In that regard… they're really not unlike us, just look at it that way."

Upon hearing this, Tifa also took on an expression of sympathy. "That's terrible… Is there any way we can help them?"

"I wish there was… It doesn't make much sense anyway that they would ally with Sephiroth's remnants, but somehow that's how it ended up. As it turns out, they seem to have a common enemy anyway, one that wants them all dead, and… that's the Planet itself."

"The Planet itself?" Cloud echoed. "Then, they really are a threat… Or, is that just what the Planet thinks? Is that why you're having a hard time understanding it right now?"

"One of the reasons, yeah. But, I think the main reason why the Planet considers them a threat is that their connection to materia is so unnatural, especially now that their powers are beginning to see their full potential, in addition to the fact that they have this alliance with the remnants."

"But, Aerith… didn't you also mention that the Turks ambushed them?"

"Were the Turks aware of this while we weren't?"

"…Yes, they were, and the person who told them brings yet another twist to this crisis."

"There's yet someone _else_ involved in all of them?" Cloud said, with incredulity and even a little exasperation. "Just how many people we don't know are involved in this?"

"Many, I'm afraid, and this one person I speak of… Well, to be honest I'm not sure if she's good or bad news in this situation. Her intentions are unclear, though I know that she might actually be an agent of the Planet itself—meaning, she looks to destroy both the remnants and the two sisters, at least from what I've observed.

"But, why her motives confuse me is that she's actually Raide's guide, his 'boss' as he calls her, and she's the one who told him to kidnap Kallie's cousin. What's more, at this point she's not trying to kill Kallie—she's actually wanted the Turks to capture her alive, probably for some reason that's related to her materia. As for Aurei, I don't even have a _clue_ as to what she wants with her yet!"

"She does sound like she has a pretty important role in all of this," remarked Tifa. "But, do you know who exactly she is?"

With a hint of frustration, Aerith shook her head. "No, and that's just another odd thing about her! I've been able to observe her actions, but every time I try to get a closer look at her, it's like she darts away faster than the eye can follow. There were even times when it was like she surrounded herself with a thick, white fog, and I couldn't see anything until I backed away again, distancing myself from her.

"Somehow, she can _tell_ that I'm trying to spy on her and see what's she up to, and she just doesn't want to let me find out. All I know is that she has recruited both Raide and the Turks as part of her mysterious plans, wants something to do with Kallie and her materia, and…" Her voice became suddenly solemn. "And what she's using as the source of her power. That's probably the strangest part of all, because of the simple fact that she can actually use it, and I never thought it was possible to use it in the ways that she has."

"Her power source…?" Cloud was becoming more bewildered than ever. "What… ways has she been using it? What's so strange about it?"

"Most notably, she has been using it to summon nearly infinite masses of these mystical serpents in order to attack her foes and even assist her allies. But, it also grants her incredible clairvoyance, so she can view distant events no matter where she might be; she can even transport herself across great distances within a matter of seconds. There might be more to it, yet that's all that she has demonstrated so far."

"So, what is it then? What is this power? You know, don't you?"

"I do… I, of all people, should know. It is a great and ancient power created by the Planet itself, one which was eventually passed down though my family for generations until it came into my possession. I kept it with me always, guarding it carefully until its time had come to be summoned in the world's most critical hour, to counter Sephiroth's might.

"I thought it had done its job on that day, but… from what I have seen, it is anything but dormant anymore. Holy, the ultimate white magic, has become active once more in order to finish its task… and that woman has almost total control of it."

* * *

"What…!"

Raide's declaration left both Kallie and even Aurei stunned, though only momentarily before it turned to disbelief, and the—mostly on Kallie's part—denial.

"I don't believe you," Aurei accused him coolly. "Just what kind of 'special abilities' could she have? None, I'm sure."

Kallie's reaction, however, was far more vehement.

"_You're lying!"_ was her defiant cry, furiously brandishing a chakram at him. "May never had _any_ special powers, and she never will!"

"What, you don't want your beloved cousin to be somethin' special?"

A growl escaped from her. "May was already special to me, more than your thick head could ever understand! And she never needed any freakish powers to begin with—she'd be better off without them, just look at _us_!"

_There's no way he can be telling the truth._ Kallie had been with May since the day she was born, and not once, in her entire life, had she _ever_ shown signs of possessing some otherworldly, unusual abilities. No, it really couldn't be true—Raide was just saying it to piss her off even more!

When she had furiously declared that to Raide, though, that cursed smirk simply returned again.

"But, think about it, sis—_we_ didn't see nothin' of our powers 'til we were all much older, did we? And May's _still_ just a little kid, ain't she? To tell ya the truth, we ain't got a _clue_ when her abilities are gonna show themselves, but man…" He chuckled. "I sure hope it's soon!"

That was the final straw for Kallie. Just having her dearest cousin kidnapped from her had been enough to piss her off beyond belief, but the thought of them manipulating her, abusing her and using her regardless of whether or not she had 'special abilities', that was something she would never, _ever_ forgive them for.

"If you even _dare_ to mess with her, I'll _make_ you regret it." That glowing fiery aura appeared again around her, its intensity growing with her rage as she glared at Raide. "If you say she's so _special_, then she's too special for you _or_ your boss to lay your filthy hands on… _so I'm gonna make you pay right now for even touching her!"_

"_Kallie!_" came Aurei's cry of warning again, yet it was hardly enough, and it was too late anyway, for Kallie's fury had gotten the better of her.

Charging straight at him, she furiously swung her chakram at him, although missed when he darted aside, evading the attack. In her enraged persistence, however, she shot a number of consecutive fireballs at him, each of which actually seemed to home in on their target, yet again he stymied her, countering with his own bolts of lightning. An explosion resulted from each impact of magic, and the clearing of smoke revealed that they were circling each other warily, looking for the next opening to strike again. Though Kallie's fiery aura burned as strongly as before, now Raide was finally deciding it was time he got serious as well, for electricity had begun to dance and spark around his body.

"If you think you've got what it takes to make me regret it," he sneered, twirling his sword in his hand, "Bring it on."

With that sentence, that action of his, however, it was then that a familiar sensation began to overcome her again, one that hadn't seemed to have visited her in a while. Déjà vu—the feeling that she had done this before, and knowing that that other entity, that unknown individual whose memories she possessed, creeping into her mind again. This time, however, it wasn't limited to simply knowledge of her own skills and techniques, but of Raide's as well.

By pure memory, it seemed, she knew just where he would strike next, whether he was swinging it at her right side or about to bring it down on her head, and the way she would block him felt incredibly familiar as well. Yet, it went beyond merely being able to predict how and where he would attack her: they had done this exact same battle before, and they knew it. She could tell that he was experiencing the same sensation, for she could see it in his eyes whenever they closed in on each other, such as now as their weapons locked in a power struggle once more.

For a short time, though, Kallie felt that, in spite of her detestation of that other person, she could use this sensation to her advantage, to at last find a weakness in her most despised enemy, to defeat him once and for all. Yet, it would not take her long to discover that it was having the opposite effect: the feelings of her other self were beginning to take over, wiping away her anger and her hatred, her desire to avenge May, her drive to defeat Raide. This was just another one of their usual skirmishes, their daily tests against one another to determine who was the stronger—but it was nothing more than friendly rivalry. At heart, they were comrades, companions even…

_N-no, not again… Stop it… I don't want… your feelings again… Hate—I __**hate**__ him. Get out—damn you, get __**out**__ of my head…!_

That was the start of her downfall. There was no possible way she could wage two battles at once and expect victory out of both. Though she still fought against that other consciousness, Raide appeared to have come out of his déjà vu, and knew her dilemma. He smirked, and for the first time, an amber glow suddenly began to resonate from his body. Her eyes widened, horrorstricken, realizing what that indicated, but before she could react, he had broken free of the blade lock. As her arms were forced upward, he took advantage of that opening and kneed her right in the stomach. With the wind knocked out of her, he suddenly did a flip right over her head, a mere yellow blur in all his newfound sped, before he swiftly touched a finger to her spine.

The next thing she knew, a jolt of electricity had raced throughout her entire nervous system, and though she tried to scream in pain, nothing would come out. She couldn't get a muscle to move. She was completely frozen, paralyzed in place.

"Damn, ya really are still an idiot, Kallie." The complacency in his voice was more prominent than ever, delighted at her helplessness. "Y'know, for a few seconds here and there, ya really got my hopes up that you'd gotten better since the last time I saw ya. But, we were both wrong. Ya haven't changed a bit; you're _still_ just as weak and inexperienced as ya were before. Looks like _you're_ the one who's gonna have regrets."

_I know…_ Kallie certainly didn't need Raide to remind her of that. From the moment he had winded her, it had already started to become a repeat of that ill-fated night. Once again, in spite of all her strength, she was incapacitated, powerless before him, yet she knew that the consequences would be even greater this time. She really had been a fool, to think that her abilities had developed enough that she could take him on… She was strong, yes, but still not strong enough. She had failed, she had failed once again.

But, what hurt most of all was knowing she had failed her cousin. She had failed to save May.

_I'm so sorry, May…_

From behind her, she could sense Raide beginning to charge up his limit break, and she could only brace herself for the inevitable, excruciating assault.

"I've never had the pleasure of tryin' out this move on a real person, and I'm glad to make ya the first, sis!"

_I'm sorry… for still being so weak…_

And she hated herself for it.

* * *

_This is it, people! We are approaching the end, the conclusion of __Embers__! And what do we have here? Suspense! Action! Drama! Revelations! Plot twists! Cliffhangers! OH MY! Really, though, the end of __Embers__ is indeed in sight, though we still have several chapters to go, I think, before I'm ready to say that this volume is completed. It probably won't be more than thirty-five chapters, though, or so I'm hoping, eh heh. And then, it'll be time for the next volume in the trilogy! I already know what its title will be, but I'm not telling yet. ;)_

_Anyhoo, on to other important news! Starting July 1__st__, I'm actually going to be gone for about a week or so, and while I will be taking my laptop with me, I am pretty much going to have little to no Internet access that entire time. While I'm unsure of when exactly I'll be getting back to someplace with good Internet, chances are it won't be for a week, so if you leave a review or something after July 1__st__, I will not be able to respond for quite some time. But, I shall be looking forward to many reviews in my inbox once I return! :D_

_So, that's it for that, I think. As usual, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to your feedback—and don't forget, __**ROLL CALL!**__ See you later, everyone!_


	27. Creeping From The Blackness

_OKAY. So, I guess I'm not approaching this the right way or something? Maybe I'm not being patient enough? Well, I think two months is a pretty long time myself. Whatever's going on, I am not going to hesitate in saying that I am really disappointed with the lack of response I am getting to the __**Roll Call**__ (yes, I am still bolding that). So far… I have only gotten responses from two different people, and I think we can all agree that's rather worrying. _

_I had much more of a rant in mind before I was writing this, and now that I am, I do feel that it's kind of pointless to rant to those who haven't replied. Either it means that people are reading, just lazy about replying, or people just aren't reading at all, which means that I'm just preaching to the damn choir here. I guess I shouldn't even be getting angry considering the probably reasons why people wouldn't be reading, either because they're away or something and aren't reading recent chapters, they're not getting the notifications, or they've simply lost interest in the story altogether, in which case I've no one to be disappointed in but myself._

_I'm really just frustrated that, for the amount of work and effort I put into this story, staying up late at night just to get one single page down until I finish a chapter, I really don't get requited for the amount of feedback I get back. I seem to be getting a lot of that crap lately, and it's really been starting to wear on me. Honestly, it makes me think that, if I'm feeling this way, then I should just give up writing __Illusory Flame__ altogether, which is a painful decision for me to make, because I really do want to see this story through to the end. But, if I don't get reciprocated for all the effort I put into it, maybe it's just not worth it after all._

_Well, that's a decision that I'll be working on for a while. I'm still going to finish __Embers__ regardless of what happens and see how things go from there. From those few of you who are still reading and liking it, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Stay tuned for some info at the end, if you're interested._

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 27**

_Creeping From The Blackness_

It was difficult to determine what had proven to be the most shocking revelation of all thus far, yet the truth that Aerith had just revealed had proven to be the most unexpected and the most unsettling to her two friends. Once they had overcome their disconcertion, however, what wasn't unexpected was their bombardment of questions, seeking to relieve their disbelief at the sheer impossibility of it all.

"_Holy?_ Are you sure? B-but, _how? How_ can she even have it?"

"How can she possibly even be able to control it, let alone know how to use it?" Though Cloud was a little more lucid with his inquiries, they were more or less the same as Tifa's. "How would she even have possession of it? Does she… _really_ have the White Materia?"

"She does." Aerith appeared to be more somber and troubled than ever. "Either she sent Raide to go get it, or she herself went after it, but either way, she did retrieve it from the waters of the shrine here. It was within the past couple of months, too, I think, but she didn't start actually using it until after the events in Edge.

"As for _how_ she can control it… well, there is a possibility, and you're not going to easily believe it yourselves either, but… it's the only way it _is_ possible. When my mother was telling me all that she could about the White Materia, she reassured me that if it somehow fell into the wrong hands, they would never be able to use it, because only an Ancient like myself would be able to. Given that fact, you know what that means…"

This time, Tifa and Cloud were truly dumbfounded.

"Then, she's a Cetra _too…_? But, Aerith, there aren't supposed to be any Ancients around anymore!" _And the last one to ever live is standing before us now… right?_

It saddened Tifa to have to bring up that fact, yet as always, she could tell that Aerith was forgiving. In fact, she suddenly appeared to be smiling again, albeit wanly.

"That's what everybody thought, yes. It's really not such an impossibility that there _are_ still Ancients around, though, if you think about it. My mother and I were the last _known_ Cetra; as far as I know, centuries ago, pretty much all the Cetra decided to go into hiding to better preserve their numbers, and of course, as a result, we lost track of each other over the years. Even here in the Lifestream, it's hard to tell just how many could be alive today."

"But…" Somehow, the idea that there could still be Cetra around gave Cloud an inkling of hope. "This has to mean that there _is_ at least one left, right?"

Again, Aerith went quiet for a moment. "…Not necessarily, I'm afraid. I, too, would love to know if there are still other Ancients around today, that I wasn't the last of my kind, yet… something seems a little 'off' about this Ancient."

"'Off'?" echoed Tifa, uneasily.

"She might be an Ancient, but not one that's actually alive." Allowing Cloud and Tifa to absorb that information for a moment, Aerith pressed onward. "If she is an Ancient, then it's probably more likely that she's actually a spirit, one which has managed to obtain a physical form by drawing directly from the energy of Holy itself, and let me tell you, that would be more than enough of an energy source. That would explain a lot of things too, like how she can travel so rapidly from place to place across great distances. She could even be _centuries_ old, which would lend another explanation as to how she can use Holy as she does.

"But, like I said before, this is all just speculation… I can't be too sure, because I can never get close enough to her to tell!"

"You're making her sound like a bigger threat than those three siblings with materia are," remarked Cloud darkly. "Is she a danger too?"

"She certainly has power, and she certainly isn't afraid to use it, but obviously the Planet trusts her enough that it's letting her use the greatest power it has to offer. She and the Planet seem to be pretty close as well, which adds to my suspicion that she _has_ to be a Cetra somehow. As for her being a threat…? I believe her only aim is to eradicate the remnants and capture Kallie, so I think for the time being, it's safe to say she's on our side. She did enlist the Turks' help, after all."

"So, they're also getting caught up in all of this again, aren't they?" This time, it was Tifa's turn to sound grim. "Then again, seeing how involved they ended up being the first time around, I guess it was kind of inevitable."

"Seems so."

As Aerith realized she hadn't already, she finally began to explain to them the new role that the Turks had taken in this, and exactly how the mysterious Ancient had come to form their alliance. Neither Cloud nor Tifa seemed rather surprised that the Ancient appealed to them with a promise of cleaning their slate in exchange for their assistance, though they did show simultaneous signs of comprehension and disbelief when she told them that it was Raide who informed them the remnants were still alive, and the 'Boss' was the one to confirm it in an obscure video recording. It was in that same recording that she gave her commands, demanding them to capture a 'girl with orange hair', who possessed extraordinary powers.

"So far, it looks like she's staying true to her word, as the incident in the Mythril Mines proved." Aerith then proceeded to fill her former comrades in on that as well, and by the end, their disbelief had completely overcome what little comprehension they had of the situation. The serpents in particular were what intrigued them the most, especially the mention of the enormous one that had brought an ultimate to the skirmish within the Mines.

"She really is able to control Holy's power in strange ways…" But Tifa, along with Cloud, had wordlessly come to the same conclusion that Yazoo had back then: the serpents appeared to be the antithesis of the dark creatures the remnants were able to summon. It somehow made it seem even more sense that it truly was Holy at work.

"I'll admit, though," said Aerith, "That I am rather uncertain about this woman, as you can probably tell by now. While she appears to be an agent of the Planet, somehow, her intentions seem to be out of her own self-interest, and they're still unclear to me, which alone is unsettling. I'd probably be a little more comfortable with her harboring such power if she was willing to actually _communicate_ with me, rather than trying to hide from me all the time, especially since she happens to be using a power that I once carried around and protected pretty much my entire life."

With that, Aerith felt that she had explained all that she could thus far, or had at least answered her friends' most pressing questions. It was enough for the present being, anyway, and thus she decided to let it all sink in, to allow them to properly process all that she had explained and confirmed for them. Yet, even so, there was yet one other important matter she still had to discuss with them, and which Cloud soon seemed to sense as he finally looked at her again, in earnest. She decided it was best that he approach her with the question first.

"That's just about everything you have to tell us, isn't it? So then… what now? What should we do in response to all of this?"

A heavy burden seemed to weigh down upon Aerith, causing her to sigh at the prospect of the last dire matter she had to inform them of, for she knew it was something they wouldn't be easily agreeing with.

"You're not going to like this one bit, I'm afraid, but… for the time being, it would be best if you guys remained in stand-by mode. At least, until we've observed enough of the situation and we can better understand what's going on."

As she suspected, they didn't take well to her suggestion at all. Tifa was probably more taken aback than anything else, although Cloud was truly in opposition to the idea. Aerith could tell that he didn't want to have to dispute her words, to even consider that she might be wrong and could possibly lead them astray, as well as being apologetic that he could feel this way, yet he couldn't seem to grasp the concept of remaining idle while his greatest enemies were still afoot.

"How can you tell us this, Aerith?" Cloud actually seemed a little indignant towards her. "Sephiroth's remnants and their new assistances are on the loose, I—_we—_can't just sit around on our hands while they're still around to wreak destruction!"

"I know, Cloud." It made Aerith weary just thinking of how she was going to explain what she wanted of them, and to help them understand her decision. "I know that you want their complete destruction by any means necessary, and so do I, to be honest. Zack and I, too, wish it had all finally ended when you defeated Sephiroth a week ago… But, that, unfortunately, is simply wistful thinking. Their total eradication is going to be much more complex and difficult than any of us wants to believe."

"It's because of Sephiroth, isn't it?" Tifa sounded more crestfallen than ever.

"…Yes. He's just as much of a pain in the neck as he was before, maybe even more so now. It's because of him that we can't destroy the remnants as soon as we want to. If we were to do so, if they were to join Kadaj in the Lifestream, then they will be even more vulnerable to Sephiroth fully assimilating him, thus providing him power—he could even possibly resurrect himself _again_."

Cloud flinched. "Even without Jenova cells? Doesn't he need them to have a physical body?"

"He still would, but there are still tons of people infected with Geostigma who would have Jenova cells, remember? However… Zack and I think we're on to something. See, whenever we've tried to destroy Sephiroth as a whole, all he does is scatter and divide himself, and then try to reassemble himself later, just like Jenova, and we wind up back at square one. But, maybe if we try to destroy those pieces before he can rebuild himself, we can permanently eradicate him at last. It's just how we go about properly doing that that's the big question. That's why we want you guys to wait, until we can find out just how to defeat him once and for all.

"And no, we _can't _destroy the remnants just yet," Aerith reminded Cloud rather sharply, when the question was about to spring to his lips. "As I said before, killing them would send them to the Lifestream, where they would be completely vulnerable to Sephiroth. At least in the physical world they'll be safe, mostly—his will is still strong enough that it continues to guide their actions and make them long to reunite with 'Mother'.

"Yet… this is where those three mysterious siblings could come into play, or at least the two sisters. Ever since they started journeying with them, we've seen a change in them, like… Sephiroth's influence over them could actually be _weakening_. It's a bit of a long shot, but it would be ironic if they turned out to be the real solution to this mess, even though the Planet thinks they're a threat. Then again, we still have yet to see how the half-brother figures into the equation, so we can't get our hopes up just yet."

Nonetheless, Aerith could still tell that that bit of news did bring a little hope to them, after she had revealed such bleak information. Although, it didn't take long before worry suddenly rose to the surface of Tifa's mind when a concerning thought had unexpectedly struck her—and it was about time that Aerith addressed that specific concern.

"Aerith, Kadaj is still in the Lifestream, isn't he? He didn't…" There was an inflection of alarm in her voice. "Sephiroth hasn't already gotten him, has—?"

"He hasn't, thank goodness, but we're doing everything in our power right now to make sure it stays that way. See, it's because of Kadaj that we learned the remnants are still vulnerable to being absorbed by Sephiroth, and why we can't let the others die. When I brought Kadaj back to the Lifestream, after you beat Sephiroth, I tried to let him go, so he could fully dissolve and finally be at rest…

"But, it was then that this great, familiar darkness came and tried to swallow him up, and it took everything we had to not only pull Kadaj back, but to also fight off that darkness. In the end, we managed to succeed, albeit narrowly. Though that darkness didn't have a distinctive shape, we still knew it was him, for we could feel his presence, and we could sense that he wanted to reclaim Kadaj for himself."

"What's become of Kadaj now?"

"Still safe with us, under our protection. All this while, he's remained seemingly completely unaware of anything that's been happening to him, which is for the best, I think, since he still believes that… I'm his 'mother'."

"It _was_ you that Kadaj was speaking to, then…" murmured Cloud. Though he had not heard Aerith's voice while Kadaj lay dying in his arms, he had still felt her presence; even if he hadn't, he knew there was no one else who could have taken Kadaj away as she had.

"Yep, but I'm afraid it can't stay that way for much longer, with him believing that I'm 'Mother'… It's a dangerous façade to maintain, especially when the entity you're impersonating is still somewhere out there, waiting for the opportunity to come and steal him away again."

"So, what are you going to do about him?"

Aerith hung her head slightly then, for she knew the time had arrived to tell them the news that they would undoubtedly be the most displeased—and dismayed—to hear. She wished that she didn't have to tell them this, let alone know that this was their only option, yet it had to be done. There was nothing else that she or Zack could think of that might work, that might be the best for Kadaj; not even the Planet seemed to have objected her decision when she had consulted it, yet there was no telling what the Planet believed would be best for it at the moment…

"As I said before, while he is under our protection, Kadaj is still incredibly vulnerable within the Lifestream, and though Zack and I believe we can continue to fight Sephiroth off for as long as necessary, what might happen if Sephiroth _does_ manage to break through is a risk we can't take. Yet, we believe that… he'll actually be safer if he were to… walk the physical world again."

Just as Aerith had expected, both of them started terribly, astonishment and incredulity overwhelming their features.

"No, Aerith…" Disbelievingly, Cloud took a step forward, staring at her with wide eyes. "No, you can't… That _can't_ be it…"

"It is, Cloud… We're going to revive him. Just as we did with you, Cloud… we're going to bring Kadaj back to life."

**

* * *

**

_I'm so sorry, May… I'm sorry… for still being so weak…_

And Kallie absolutely hated herself for it.

"I've never had the pleasure of tryin' out this move on a real person." From behind her, she could helplessly sense Raide beginning to charge up his limit break. "And I'm glad to make ya the first, sis!"

In that moment, Kallie then knew the true meaning of being powerless—one that not even that fated night outside her apartment could compare to. Though she was winded and paralyzed, unable to move a muscle just like she had been then, this was going to hurt a hell of a lot more than the first time. Already, she could imagine how it would feel when that slender, rapier-like blade, charged with all the energy of a thunderstorm, would tear through her, electrocuting her down to every bone of her body, to the core of her being. That energy he was building was so great, she had a feeling she might actually _die_ as a result. A part of her could only hope that he had been given orders to only incapacitate her and keep her alive, yet with Raide's vicious vindictiveness, there was no telling he would obey those commands.

_May…_

The thought of her cousin was all Kallie knew she had to keep her alive; the determination to survive until they could be together again was all she had to gird herself against the magnitude of his attack. At last, she knew he had fully charged his devastating technique, and all she could do now was brace herself for the inevitable, excruciating assault he was about to bring upon her. She could _feel_ his lightning-based power reach its critical peak, the point of no return, and then felt him as he charged straight towards her, at a speed unlike anything she had been able to comprehend before.

If only she had been able to, Kallie would have closed her eyes in admittance of her defeat. _I'm sorry._

Then, she thought she heard someone cry out. In the direness of that moment, it was difficult to tell—in fact, everything happened so fast then, it was hard to tell at all what was happening. But, what Kallie was sure of was that something thick and heavy wrapped around her waist, yanking her hard and fast down to the concrete floor. Before she had even hit the ground, however, an amber blur whizzed past her, leaving electrically charged afterimages in its wake. Still before her back would slam hard into the floor, knocking the wind out of her a second time, she heard a loud crash, a clatter of metal, a groan of pain, and then silence.

As Kallie lay there face-up, utterly dazed, unable to process a thing of what was going on, it was nonetheless another vaguely reminiscent moment—lying on her back, incapacitated, unable to move as a result of that serpent's attack. Just like then as well, she could hear the soft footfalls of boots hastening toward her before they stopped at her side; she thought she sensed the person kneel down at her side, and then Aurei's face came into view.

"Kallie, it might be difficult, but you should be able to move now."

Though her expression was as calm as ever, there was a certain softness to her voice that denoted concern, especially when Kallie didn't respond right away. That was when she carefully lifted her sister up in her arms, until she was sitting upright, and it was then she realized that she could indeed move again—albeit with extreme difficulty. It was hard to determine exactly what was the cause of it, whether she was still somewhat paralyzed from Raide's attack (she did feel quite numb all over), or it was a result of the fall, but at least she _could_ move now, even if her limbs were incredibly stiff as she tried to pull herself up more, touching a hand to her head.

"What… happened, Aurei…?" It especially was a task to speak, making her feel as though she was unintentionally slurring her words. "Raide, where's he…?"

Lifting her head slightly, Aurei looked in the direction where that amber blur had gone. "Look for yourself, once you can. Long story short… I don't think Raide will be fit to continue the battle anytime soon."

It did take Kallie a little bit longer to overcome the lingering effects of Raide's limit break, but at last she could shift herself enough that she could turn her head in the direction Aurei had indicated, to see what had become of her half-brother. The moment she did see him, however, nearly every and all traces of the paralysis she had experienced vanished, and she even startled Aurei as she sat bolt upright with surprising vigor. There, before the building's topmost structure, Raide lay motionless in front of the wall he had rammed into, his sword lying next to him. On what she could see of his face from here, a trail of blood seemed to be trickling down from his nose.

"N-no…" Her heart gave a thump of dismay, fearing the worst. "No, you… you _can't_ be dead…"

"Relax, he isn't. He's still breathing. He simply couldn't control his speed and knocked—"

Before Aurei could finish her sentence, however, Kallie had suddenly gotten to her feet, dashing straight towards her brother with an outright vengeance, enraged curses of all sorts leaving her tongue.

"Oh no you _aren't_, you asshole! This isn't over yet! I'm _still_ gonna beat the shit outta you! I'm _still_ gonna make you regret screwing with me, you bas—!"

Yet, in her revived senseless fury, Kallie had forgotten about the chain that was still wrapped around her waist, and though it had loosened up somewhat, it was still enough that Aurei could pull it tight again, fiercely yanking Kallie back.

"Enough of this, Kallie!" she reprimanded sharply. "He's down for good, and that's all that should matter!"

"_No!_" Kallie remained defiant, struggling with all her might to free herself from Aurei's chain and resume launching herself at her unconscious enemy. "It wasn't supposed to go like this! I was gonna beat him fair and square! I was gonna make him _pay_ for taking May away from me, and dragging me into this mess! I was gonna—I was…"

And then, it was as if all the will, the drive to punish him, had been drained out of her as she fully realized the scale of her defeat and loss. For a few moments, she stood there, panting from her efforts, and then fell heavily to her knees.

"Damn… it…"

It didn't matter if she had miraculously survived Raide's attack. It didn't matter if Raide was down and out for the count. She had failed—she had still failed. Everything that this journey had amounted to, everything that she had been planning and preparing herself for, everything that she had been hell-bent on accomplishing here, on this day… all of it had fallen through. In spite of all that she had been through thus far, how much stronger and more powerful she had become, it still hadn't been enough to beat him. Just as before, Raide had conquered her, and—

She had failed to rescue May.

It was then that her rage returned, but in anguished twofold as she cried out, pounding the ground with her fists while angry tears stung her eyes.

"_Damn it!_" Her voice nearly choked in her shrieking. "Damn it, damn it, _damn it!_ I'll never, _ever_ forgive you for this, Raide! _Never!_"

Rarely did Kallie ever cry—she sure felt the urge many times before, especially in the past couple of months, but every time that she did feel it, she would fight the tears back with all her strength. To her, tears were a sign of weakness, a lack in strength, and as long as she had to look after May, as long as she had others to look up to her, Kallie had vowed to always be strong. Yet, this time, with what felt like the weight of her world collapsing all around her, she hardly noticed the few tears that had escaped down her cheeks, or her sobs that were mingled with her cursing.

But, at least she didn't have a sibling to reprimand or tease her for crying. Though Aurei could not find the words to comfort her sister, she said nothing to interrupt her agonized grieving either. Instead, she stood there in respectful silence, not unlike one would behave during a funeral; she even unwrapped the chain from around Kallie, who hardly did anything in response. While Aurei was disappointed that Kallie had been unable to defeat Raide, she still understood her sister's pain enough not to intervene with her usual pestering. Aurei herself had to admit that she, too, had been hoping to rescue May here in Junon, so that Kallie would no longer have to worry so much about the young girl.

At the same time, however, Aurei wasn't sure how she felt about meeting the little cousin she had never known she had. She didn't want to know what May would think of someone like her.

A couple of minutes or so seemed to pass, during which Kallie had gradually come to get a hold of herself again, and had managed to regain enough of her composure that she no longer shed fresh tears. She still did sniffle once, though, as she finally wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve, before pulling herself upright, taking a deep breath to further clear her head. Seeing that it would be appropriate to speak again, Aurei approached Kallie, preparing to inform her of their new objective now, when it was unexpectedly explained for her.

A loud bang was what finally broke Kallie out of her grief, starting and abruptly glancing at the building's door to the roof, which she noticed, for the first time, was sealed over with a thick layer of ice. Even as she watched, there was another bang from the other side, and though the door shook in response, Aurei's virtually un-meltable ice held it firmly shut. With a pang of horror and dismay, Kallie immediately understood then just why Aurei had been asking them to cease their fighting…

"This is what I was trying to tell you when you and Raide were refusing to listen to me." Though Aurei tried to keep her voice still respectfully soft, she nonetheless couldn't help but let her impatient urgency show. "Did you really think that such an enormous clash would go unnoticed by Junon's citizens? I wouldn't be surprised if they started sending W.R.O. in sooner or later, you two caused such a commotion. You were both so involved, you didn't even notice that I had coated the door over with ice."

_Well, shit._ This was just turning out to be the best day of Kallie's life ever, wasn't it? Attracting unwanted attention with her powers was just something else she had wanted to accomplish today.

"If we can get out of here now and lie low somewhere for a while, however, there's still a chance that we can avoid completely blowing our cover."

Though Kallie wordlessly agreed that sounded like a great plan to her, and she was hastily getting to her feet, she still hadn't forgotten about her dear half-brother.

"What about _him_, eh?" She gestured bitterly towards the still motionless Raide. "What're we gonna do about that bastard?"

"We're taking him with us for questioning, of course. If we don't treat him, since he's in no immediate danger of dying, he shouldn't come to for another hour or so. Obviously when he does he'll be much harder to restrain, but I might be able to amend that right now."

"How so?"

"You'll see."

After coiling up her chain-sickle and reattaching it to her belt, Aurei strode right up to Raide and, picking up his sword, slid it back inside its sheath. Kallie, busy retrieving her own weapons and stowing them away, almost wasn't prepared when Aurei suddenly tossed the sheathed blade at her, having removed it from its owner's belt, and barely caught it in both hands.

"Hold onto that. I'll take care of Raide for now."

Without further ado, Aurei kneeled down before Raide and flipped him over, although didn't quite do as Kallie expected. Muttering something under her breath, a concentration of Ice magic appeared at her fingertip, before then swiftly drawing it over Raide's chest. Amazingly enough, a series of glyphs, glowing blue like her magic, appeared in its wake, and what amazed Kallie even more was that, though the glyphs appeared alien to her, they were somehow incredibly familiar as well. She might even have been able to tell what they said, but didn't quite get that chance before Aurei swiped a hand over those glyphs and they appeared to sink right into his jacket, disappearing into his skin without a trace. Raide even appeared to shiver in response, though remained unconscious.

"There…" Aurei said, examining her handiwork. "If I did that correctly, then Raide should be unable to access his powers until I myself lift the spell. He'll have a hard time moving as well."

Kallie's expression and tone of voice were hardly enough to express her disbelief and even exasperation. "…Just how many convenient tricks do you have hiding up your sleeve, Aurei?"

"Conveniently more than enough to keep us alive. My mentor taught me this spell and ones similar to it, in case you or Raide should… get out of hand. Standard ailment spells such as Silence won't work on us, so this is the only way."

"Really, huh? Y'know, just _who_ is this mentor of yours anyway?"

"That is something which must wait for another time. Right now, we really do need to get out of here."

Another bang from behind the iced-over door substantiated Aurei's urgent concern, and Kallie nodded her assent, though still fixed Aurei with an earnest stare.

"You really _are_ gonna tell me, right? That isn't an empty promise, is it?"

"You have my word, Kallie. There's no way I can avoid telling you anyway, though I reiterate that the time isn't now."

Ominous as it sounded, that was good enough for Kallie. "Gotcha. Let's just haul ass outta here, then, huh?"

"Indeed."

With that, Aurei shifted Raide's still form forward slightly before putting an arm around his middle and hoisting him up over one shoulder. While Raide was a few inches taller than she was, she was nonetheless able to carry him with little to no apparent effort, and she herself seemed surprised by this.

"This boy truly is emaciated…" she muttered wonderingly as she rose to her full height. "Or, perhaps he's simply that naturally scrawny." A thought appeared to go through her head, flickering briefly on her face, though she made no reference to it. "All right, follow me now."

For the second time, Kallie nodded before proceeding to follow her sister over to the edge of the rooftop, preparing to make a running leap over to the next building.

"Aurei, do you think this bastard's really gonna talk? He _happily_ wouldn't tell us anything before, and it doesn't seem like his attitude's gonna change, even if he is put into a powerless position."

"And you're probably right. Meeting him now made me realize just how little he thinks he has to lose, giving him more reason to be obstinate." Shifting Raide's limp body into a better position over her shoulder, Aurei glanced one more time back at her sister. "But, even so, we _will_ find a way. Mark my words, we have questions, and he _will_ answer them."

"Hell yeah." _And he'd better answer. He'd __**damn**__ better answer us._

Those were her determined thoughts as Aurei finally led the way in their escape across the rooftops, making running jumps from building from building in not only their attempts to find a place to lie low, but to also distance themselves from the battle site. Preoccupied though Kallie was with her thoughts of immense disappointment and frustration, however, they weren't enough that they prevented the return of a familiar feeling from before—the feeling of longing, wondering if she would ever see that silver-haired creep again.

_Yazoo… Are you and Loz really gonna come back?_ Even as she thought that, Kallie was already finding herself scanning her surroundings for any sign of those leather-clad brothers. _Or, was that really goodbye?_

While a part of her wished that was so, still the thought of never seeing them again deeply saddened her, not helping her already crestfallen mood. Then again… after today's failure, after all she had been promising Yazoo and Loz what she would achieve, she wasn't sure if she could stand to face them again.

**

* * *

**

Abominations. The siblings, too, were abominations.

_I knew it all along._

How many times had Yazoo referred to them as 'perversions of nature'? Something other than human? That their connection with materia could only be something unnatural? More than enough, that was for sure, although he still could have never guessed that the Planet itself wanted them dead too. It had only seemed logical to him that the Planet had been the one to create them somehow, and somehow wanted to utilize them for some greater purpose. But, _enemies_ to the Planet? That rose more questions in him than he could have ever wished to have.

Yet, before he or Loz could put forth any more inquiries to Mother, before they could press her for more explanations on these startling matters, it was as if something had suddenly bludgeoned them over their heads. Simultaneously, the white world violently flashed and faded around them, and though it returned just as quickly, they were still the worse for wear. A massive headache like they had never known before wracked their minds, and though that too soon faded away, some of the pain still lingered behind. The brief agony had actually brought Loz down to one knee, and even Yazoo was clutching his head with a faint groan.

"Mother…?" grunted Loz, rising back to his full height. "Mother, what _was_ that? It really hurt…"

**The fault is mine.** Though Mother appeared not to have experienced any pain herself, they could tell that she had been affected too. Her image appeared dimmer than before, her features less distinct, and she even seemed to be flickering slightly. **My power… It has begun to wear thin. I fear that I cannot maintain this haven for much longer, my sons. I shall quickly answer what questions you might still have, as well as perform one last favor for you, before I take my leave.**

**Now, is there anything else that troubles you?**

There was, for Yazoo, at least. Although Mother had responded to many things that had been on his mind, he still had so many questions he yearned to be answered, and even more had arisen with the new information she had provided him. Even so, there was something else that was bothering him, something else which Mother had hardly addressed at all. She had told them all that she could about the three siblings, confirming his suspicions that they were something unnatural. She had told them about their new enemies, and the Planet's current motives. But…

"But, what about _you_, Mother? What are you going to do?"

It seemed like such a general, obvious question. Of course, she was going to lay low, conserving her power as before while continuing to watch over them and guide them, as she always had. Yet, Mother seemed to understand what he was trying to ask, for she smiled faintly.

**There is little that can be done for me at the moment, Yazoo. By acquiring parts of my body again, I had hoped to restore my power, yet now that seems to be futile. There are few substantial remains of my physical form, and what still exist of my cells are far too scattered to be of any use. They will not even respond to the Reunion, no matter how much I endeavor to summon them. I am… simply too weak now.**

**Yet, still, do not despair. I **_**will**_** find a way. I shall once again rise to power, just as I promised you. For now, follow the path I have set before you, and obey the commands I have given you. Perhaps… those siblings will even be the key to my resurrection.**

**That, and there is another hope… The Cetra and her guardian, who both reside in the Lifestream as protectors of the Planet, have decided to bring your fallen brother back to life.**

Yazoo was stunned. _No…_

"_Kadaj…?_" Loz had never felt such mingled feelings of bewilderment and joy. "Kadaj, is he…? He's really coming back?"

**He is.** Even Mother, in all her serenity, sounded pleased, much to Yazoo's own displeasure. He still could not believe what she was telling them. **Yet, ironically, they do so as a means of keeping him away from me; they believe that he will be safer from me alive, in the physical realm. Do know, however, that I know not where they plan to revive him. What also concerns me is that they possibly tamper with his mind, so that he may not hear my voice, or even forget his identity, as well as his mission. **

**Either way, whatever they might to do him… Kadaj is still my son, and your brother. I **_**will**_** ensure that he still hears my voice, and responds to the Reunion's call. No matter how they try to distance him from us, you will still find him again, and he **_**will**_** rejoin your cause. I will do everything in my power to ensure that it will occur.**

Though Yazoo had hung onto her every word, his sheer disbelief still overshadowed everything else on his mind. Kadaj was coming back. Kadaj was going to be revived. This couldn't be, this wasn't going to happen. The brother that he had despised the most… he _couldn't_ be returning, not after he had savored the absence of his presence for so long. The idea that Kadaj could possibly be given amnesia, so that he wouldn't remember his previous life and thus forget that he had been their leader, was only a slight comfort to him. For once, he could not bring himself to share in Mother's happiness, for this news only brought him dismay and torment.

As these thoughts were expressed in his head, he was sure that Mother would respond, that she would tell him he needed to accept Kadaj's return if their mission was to succeed. He even wished that she would assuage him of his fears, reassuring him that Kadaj would not order him around as he had before and claim superiority over him again. Yet, she gave no such reply—in fact, other than a silent glance towards him, she gave no reply at all, for their time here was coming to a close. Her power was soon to run dry, and then they would make their return to the physical world.

**But, before I must depart, there is one last thing I can do for you… One thing I… **_**must**_** do for you…**

It was then that Mother suddenly appeared to sweep in closer to them, and the abruptness of her movement was such that they both started, for it seemed that she had somehow hardly moved from her previous spot. For a moment, they thought they caught a glimpse of her phantom limbs, moving in a sweeping motion, before a white fog—similar to the one she had first appeared to them from—unexpectedly engulfed them. Though they were at first slightly alarmed as the fog swirled around them in great billows, it wasn't long before they relaxed again, because while the fog brought on a strange sensation, it also felt so comforting and rejuvenating—much like a Cure spell, actually, yet it seemed to do more than simply heal any minor injuries and alleviate the tension in their bodies.

Loz, in fact, was the first to fully realize this, for along with the sensations that the mist left behind, he felt something slightly different on his left arm: something that was heavier, yet so familiar, in its definite weight. Yet, before Loz could give even so much as a curious glance at his left arm, it was then he and Yazoo realized with great dismay just how much of a toll her parting gift had taken on her. Though her expression or posture seemed unaffected, her image nonetheless was. Her features were even less defined, fading in and out even more until there was almost nothing left of her to see except a mist shaped in her likeness. That, and with the painful pressure building over their heads again, they began to fear the worst…

"Mother…?" Loz asked quite uncertainly, while Yazoo could only look on helplessly.

**Loz… Yazoo… **Her voice was likewise as serene as before, yet came to them as if through a broken radio. **Go… back to… them…**

And the safe haven that Mother had created collapsed around them. Abruptly, painfully, they were thrust from the world of the bright, comforting whiteness into one of terrible pitch blackness—a realm that they visited for only a brief second, yet which still felt like a terrifying eternity.

**We shall meet… again…**

Then, in a seemingly mere blink of an eye, they had returned. They were back in the real world. They were back as themselves, on a rooftop in the city of Junon, back in a place of loud noises and dreary sights. Never had the physical world been such a reminder to the brothers of their bleak existence, but never before had they been so aware of one thing:

They were utterly alone. Mother was no longer with them. Though her last words still hovered in the air, echoing in their ears, no longer could they sense her presence. Though she had promised that they would meet again, she was gone, and they were alone now. So, so alone.

Yet, at least now they knew that she was real. She was for real, and she wished for them to carry on.

* * *

All around him, in the depths of the Lifestream, Zack could feel Sephiroth's presence lurking nearby. He was biding his time, waiting for the opportune moment to make his assault against their defenses.

Without a shred of doubt, Zack knew it was him. After all, he could easily recall what it felt like to be in the awe-inspiring presence of his former comrade in SOLDIER, the man that he and so many others had once looked up to, in a time that felt so distant. But, now, it was only a vague recognition. Any trace of that once charismatic, honorable soul had long since been completely abandoned and left by the wayside, replaced with nothing but the cruel, malevolent mentality of a monster. Having been recalling memories of his friend many times lately, Zack could not help but feel saddened by the fact that this was what his friend had been reduced to, and after he had thrown away the last shreds of his humanity, there was no longer any hope of salvation for him.

In fact, after his recent defeat at the hands of Cloud, it seemed to Zack that Sephiroth was even more dehumanized than ever before. Especially now, Sephiroth hardly even had a defined form anymore, manifesting as nothing more than a mass of darkness that stalked around the protective barrier Aerith had created before her departure, encircling Zack and his charge like a predator. Anticipating the worst, Zack had the Buster Sword drawn, warily watching Sephiroth's every move, unsure of what tricks the bastard would have up his sleeve.

_It's really too bad things had to end up like this, eh, old friend?_ At thought of what Sephiroth would respond with, if he could, if he even remembered him anymore, Zack chuckled a little. Yet, what threw him off guard was that he _did_ get a response.

As if Sephiroth had actually been able to hear his thoughts, there suddenly came a peal of malignant laughter from within the black mass, and Zack braced for the worst as thick, shadowy tendrils lashed out like black vines at the barrier, striking the shimmering white surface. Thankfully, the strength of Aerith's holy power was such that Sephiroth's vile darkness could not breach the protective dome-like shield, but what did concern Zack was that the villainous spirit should have been repelled, even harmed, by such holy magic, and he knew it was time to act.

Swinging the Buster Sword with a cry, Zack determinedly leap out of the barrier itself, slicing the dark tendrils away and causing them to dissipate like mist. When Sephiroth began to retreat, at once he went after him, attempting to strike the black mass, yet it evaded him, swiftly moving away like windblown smoke. Whatever Sephiroth was planning, his business wasn't yet finished here, and Zack backed up inside the barrier again, constantly keeping himself between this bastard and the person he was trying to protect here.

"Give it up, Sephiroth!" he shouted at the black mass, knowing well that he could hear him. "You don't belong in this world anymore!"

A dark chuckle emanated from the darkness, reverberating with even greater malice, and then the darkness seemed to explode with masses of shadowy tendrils—or so they appeared to be at first. Zack had just been preparing to leap from the barrier again to cut them down when he did a double take, actually backing up a bit upon seeing that Sephiroth had upped the ante, having summoned a horde of creatures upon him. Though they closely resembled the Shadow Creepers, their forms were much more shadowy, skeletal, and wraithlike than their counterparts in the physical world. Emitting piercing screeches, they all ferociously leapt at the barrier, beckoned onward by their master.

Fearsome and intimidating though the oncoming assault was, Zack remained steadfast, staying his ground and facing these Abyss Creepers head on. Feeling the strength that he needed rising up within him, he charged straight at them even as they swiftly approached him, jumping into the air and raising his sword above his head. At his will, a huge cluster of meteors rained down upon his foes, effortlessly destroying each and every one of them, even the ones that arose to replace their fallen brethren—and fortunately, striking his primary target as well.

It drove the black mass that was Sephiroth back, causing him to cease his summoning and drift in place, as if stunned; shreds of darkness hung all around where the Abyss Creepers had been slain. Getting a readier grip on the Buster Sword, Zack saw the opportunity to strike and rushed at Sephiroth—even if he could not fully destroy him, at least he could weaken him enough to drive him back for a while. But then, the shreds of darkness that had been floating about suddenly snapped into action again, rejoining with its master, who then shot off into the void of the Lifestream.

Retreating for the third time back inside the barrier, Zack hurriedly yet carefully scanned his surroundings, searching for where his adversary had gone and where he might reappear again, just when he would let his guard. Although, while he kept an eye on the surrounding void for what might have been several minutes, all was calm and still again, save for the whispers of the souls in the Lifestream, the voices of which had become more and more restless in recent times. After what had just happened here, they seemed to have become even more agitated.

"And he'd better stay away," Zack muttered to himself, though he knew better than to assume that. Not as long as Sephiroth's most prized puppet remained here, anyway.

Placing the Buster Sword upon its magnetic sheath on his back, he then turned to said remnant whom he had been defending so vigorously. In the very center of the safe zone Aerith had created lay Kadaj's prone form, very much like Cloud had lain before they had sent him back to the world of the living—his body motionless, his unnatural eyes closed. During the entire length of the battle, he had been completely oblivious to all that had been occurring around him. The only thing he seemed to be aware of was Aerith's absence, and though he had no voice to speak with, his entire being cried out for 'Mother's' return.

"Don't worry, kid, she'll be back soon," Zack told him reassuring, even though the vulnerable remnant would only respond to Aerith's voice. He sighed, shaking his head with a smile. "You can't do a darn thing, but you're still a handful, you know that? Still, you just might be worth all the trouble. Aerith says so, anyway, and I think so too."

_At least, I hope so… I hope Aerith is right about sending you back. Will you really be better off there, or is nowhere safe for you?_

Turning away from Kadaj then, Zack gazed off into the void, contemplating with his hands on his hips before saying aloud:

"Sorry if I'm interrupting, Aerith." No matter where she was, he knew his voice would be able to reach her. "I hope you're done explaining things to our old pals, because I need you back on the double. Sephiroth was just here, and he wasn't screwing around. I think… it's finally that time, and the sooner we get to it, the better."

**

* * *

**

Cloud and Tifa's reactions to the idea that Kadaj was going to be revived were just as Aerith had expected—and feared. What else would they be thinking when they heard that one of their greatest enemies, the remnant of Sephiroth that had caused them all so much grief and whom they also believed would be gone forever, was about to be brought back to life? But, she knew that there could be only one way they would accept that fact. Given the circumstances and the information she had been providing them up until this point, they could see that their only choice was to accept Kadaj's return. Really, now that Aerith was thinking about it, everything she had been telling had all been just so they would better understand such a critical decision.

Thankfully—and yet, unfortunately—something else had just happened that would give them no other option but acceptance.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, guys," she said to them gently, trying to assuage their disconcertion. "I really am sorry, but this is—"

It was then that, across the expanses of the Lifestream, Aerith did hear Zack's voice calling to her, and she could only listen with growing dismay as he informed her of what had just unfolded. Though only she could hear his voice, her companions nonetheless construed from the expression of alarm on her face that terrible something had occurred.

"It's just as Zack and I feared," Aerith explained solemnly. "Sephiroth came back for Kadaj, and he was bent on reclaiming him as his own. Because I created a barrier around Kadaj, however, and Zack defended him, Sephiroth failed. Yet, while we were able to fend him off this time, we don't know how long we can keep doing so. Even now, when he seems to be at his weakest, we _can't_ underestimate him."

"So, there really is no other choice, is there?" Just as Aerith had been hoping, Cloud had chosen acceptance. Considering that he had been the least supportive of the idea, that was certainly a good sign.

"I'm afraid not, and I'm afraid that means that, now, I must take my leave."

They both instantly looked at her then, appearing sadder than ever. Even if she couldn't sense their flow of thoughts and feelings, she knew regardless that they would never want her to go. They wanted this bittersweet reunion to last for as long as it possibly could. Yet, Aerith smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, this isn't going to be the last time we'll get to talk! Though I'm not sure when we can next meet, I know that we _will_ see each other again—especially while this madness is going on. If there's any trouble brewing anywhere that you guys can take care of, I'll let you know straightaway!"

Cloud managed to smile a little himself. "Thank you, Aerith. So then, what can we do for the time being? What can we expect Kadaj to be doing?"

She sighed. "I don't like to admit that there are so many things we're unsure about right now, but exactly how Kadaj will react to being alive again is one of them. It was a success with you, Cloud, but there are so many factors going into his revival that there's no telling what the effects of bringing him back to life will be. All we can really do is cross our fingers and hope for the best! Whatever happens, we'll be keeping a _close_ eye on him so you don't have to worry.

"Actually, now that I'm thinking about it… What you guys _could_ be doing in the meantime is have a chat with our old friend, President Rufus Shinra, about his role in all of life, and what he knows about that mysterious woman who's controlling Holy. The Turks would be good to talk to as well, especially since they've actually met all three siblings."

"We'll be on it right away!" Tifa said with alacrity. "I think everyone will be glad to hear that we won't be waiting around with no idea of what's going on anymore—especially Yuffie."

That made Aerith laugh. "She's sure grown, but she hasn't changed much, has she? Well, make sure she knows that I don't plan to make you guys sit around idle anymore, and that's a promise! For now, though… it is time that I take my leave. That's all I have to tell you, but I _will_ be back to inform you how everything went with Kadaj."

They nodded, and a new sense of determination began to settle in, which made them actually feel eager to return to the real world to immediately start on their new objectives. Yet, Tifa wasn't about ready to go just yet.

"Aerith…" Before anything could happen that would cause Aerith to depart, Tifa stepped forward slightly, gazing kindly at her friend. "It really is good to see you again, and… I'm so grateful that we are able to."

"Me too, Tifa." After a moment of silence, Aerith dipped her head slightly, giving a wave of her hand in farewell. "Be seeing you soon, guys!"

Even as Aerith had been saying her farewell, it already seemed as though she was fading into the whiteness around her, its brightness swallowing her form. Then, quite abruptly, the next thing they knew, the white space itself completely vanished around them, leaving them standing alone in the real world again. Though they stood upon the altar still, it somehow felt as if none of that had ever occurred, that it had all been a part of their imagination. Maybe it had been, maybe it all had just been happening in their minds, yet the exhaustion and whelm that they were feeling now told a completely different story.

It was more of an emotional and mental fatigue than anything else, yet it was still so great that Tifa nearly felt the urge to collapse. It seemed that she was just barely keeping herself on her feet, having to slump over slightly, supported by her hands on her knees. Cloud almost did the same himself, although his concern for Tifa's well-being remained greater. When he gently touched her shoulder, asking if she was all right, she merely nodded reassuringly.

"I am, don't worry, just… a little overwhelmed." She nonetheless smiled appreciatively, straightening up. "But, I think we'd better get back to our idle friends and tell them everything, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah, we should."

And just like that, they took off for the exit. While they weren't going nearly as fast as they were when Cloud had first spotted Aerith's apparition, they still had no holds in their haste (though Cloud was taking a little more care this time to make sure he wasn't getting too far ahead of Tifa), racing through the underground structures and bounding up the stairs, taking them two—even three—at a time. The moment that they emerged above ground again, into the interior of the poolside temple, Cloud had flipped open his phone and dialed Vincent's number, using the few seconds that it was ringing to catch his breath, for even he had been winded by the long dash.

"Yes, Cloud?"

"Vincent… can you and Yuffie get over here as soon as possible?"

"Is everything all right? You're completely out of breath. Did something happen?"

"Yeah, definitely, but not what we would've expected. Rather, something we've been wanting all along… But, it's gonna take a hell of a lot of explaining."

**

* * *

**

_Well, all rants aside, I do hope that the few of you who still are reading enjoyed this chapter. :) On to other news, for those of you who might be interested, I have posted a brand new fan art of Kallie on my deviantART, which you can find a link to in my profile! It's not so much a fan art as it is a basic character sheet, but with my new, developed talents in tow, I decided to remake the first one I did of her and it turned out so much better. I just thought it would be nice for readers (or lack thereof) to get a better idea of what she looks like, as well as for my own benefit, so I can better envision her in my head._

_Also, once again I am probably not going to have Internet access again for a short while, because today, July 30__th__, I will be attending Otakon in Baltimore, Maryland, and will be there until Sunday. In the __**really**__ off chance that any of you happen to be going, since I doubt many of you actually live close enough, look out for a Songstress Yuna on Friday, a Summoner Yuna on Saturday, and a Gijinka Kyogre from the Pokemon series on Sunday! I'm also going to be in a Final Fantasy X group as Yuna on Saturday, so I'm super excited about that if nothing else, ha ha. I should definitely be in a better mood once I return, heh. So yep, I really hope to see from feedback from you guys when I get back on Sunday!_


	28. Missing

_Ugh, this took WAY too long to write… As usual, I'm just glad that I got it done before the end of the month and I don't have to worry about writing for a short while, lol. Regarding feedback, I am glad that there were signs of life from another person in response to my Roll Call, but still, I need a little more than that, lol. Maybe I'll hear back from more people once they see two of our favorite characters starting to interact again. _

_But yeah, I'm not gonna be complaining anymore about lack of feedback (especially if there aren't people around to read it). I'm just gonna plow onward until I'm done with this—thankfully, I should have only a few more chapters to go. I don't think it'll take longer than thirty-five chapters, anyway._

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 28**

_Missing_

When Loz and Yazoo had first made their return to the physical world, their feelings of longing to be with Mother lingered on, yearning for nothing else but to remain in her comforting presence. Yet, strangely enough, just as the white mist had disappeared from around them, a veil of haziness seemed to lift itself from their minds, releasing them from the state of single-mindedness that had possessed them so. Along with it came a sense of mental fatigue, and even a temporary lightheadedness as they gradually regained their bearings.

Still, though their determined drive to find her here had departed, their sense of duty and devotion remained. She had promised them that she would meet them here in Junon, and she had kept that promise, even reassuring them that they would be seeing each other again. Now, with that objective completed, it was on to their next assignment, and they almost didn't need to discuss what it was as they turned to each other, the same intentions on their mind:

"Should we try to find them again?" asked Yazoo, looking off into the distance. It was a redundant question, given Mother's request, but never had Yazoo believed he would actually be eager to reunite with the sisters, and possibly their half-brother… He was still trying to deal with such a novel feeling. "If they're still engaged in combat, we ought to try and help them."

"Yeah…" Likewise, Loz was surveying what they could of Junon from here, as if hoping to spy their comrades from this location. "You think we could find 'em again? They never really said where they'd be going to look for their brother."

"Regardless, we _will_ find them. We have to, if Mother commands it."

Even Loz was taken aback by Yazoo's newfound resolution, though as he too wanted to see the sisters again, he wasn't complaining in the slightest. "You're right. Let's go find 'em already!"

Acquiescing silently with a nod, Yazoo headed towards the edge of the building, Loz close behind. Just when he was about to bound over to the neighboring roof, however, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, and Loz almost continued onwards without his brother had he not realized in time that Yazoo had halted, turning to stare at him with an unexpected incredulity unlike anything he had expressed before.

"Loz…" What Yazoo had noticed that had changed about his brother was something that had been so familiar before, he understood why he had initially overlooked it before, yet it was still a sight to behold. "Look at your arm."

When Yazoo had pointed out the change, however, Loz only needed to feel it before he actually saw what it was. It was a weight upon his arm, one that had been absent for nearly a full week, and one which he thought he would never feel again. The weight was of such familiarity that he too had completely overlooked it, and now that it was back, he almost didn't want to look, it was too good to be true. But, when he chanced a glance down, his eyes widened, and he gasped, overcome with happiness unlike anything he had felt before upon seeing the wonderfully familiar weapon his left arm bore.

It was back. Duel Hound, the pile bunker that Brother had destroyed and which Loz had believed would be gone forever, was back, looking as new as it had on the first day he had received it.

Disbelievingly still, he raised his arm to further examine the return of his long-lost weapon, tilting it about in different directions, just to affirm that this was for real. There was only one surefire way he would be able to tell. Allowing the handle to flip up into the palm of his hand, he promptly thrust the pile bunker into the cement floor, and was utterly satisfied to see the small crater in the cement that resulted from the shockwave, not at all mindful of the destruction he had caused. Yazoo, on the other hand, was all too aware of the damage to the building, but while he did roll his eyes, he refrained from chastisement, for he could perfectly understand the joy Loz felt at being reunited with Duel Hound.

That, and his attention had been diverted upon noticing yet another parting gift Mother had left for them, this time something she had done for both of them. It was a less evident difference, but while Loz had been cherishing Duel Hound's return, Yazoo had soon come to realize that their leather uniforms had been completely restored to their former pristine condition. All the damage that the explosion atop the Shinra building had done, the numerous burns, tears, and rips that had resulted, it was as if nothing had ever happened to their garments.

Thusly, it also meant that all the mending that the orange-haired girl had done was gone, with no trace of the stitches she had made. As glad as Yazoo was that he no longer had to wear such disheveled, ruined clothing, for some odd reason he could only think of the girl's reaction when she would see that all the time and effort she had put into repairing their jackets had been for naught—it was an amusing notion.

Joyous though they were with the parting gifts Mother had left them, it faded away into a sense of bittersweet reverence once they realized just how much of Mother's dwindling strength it must have taken for her to make such restorations to their equipment. To use the last of her power, at least for the time being, was a sacrifice she had been willing to make just so they could begin their journey anew. Though they knew from her promise that it hadn't been her demise, they were resolute in making certain that her endeavors would not be in vain.

With that, they hardly needed to communicate with words where they had to be and what they had to be doing at that very moment, though their minds were still joyfully preoccupied with the gifts Mother had left them with (Loz in particular still silently rejoicing his reunion with Duel Hound). Especially upon realizing that the small, albeit potent shockwave Loz had caused had attracted the perhaps unwanted attention and concern from people on the street below, it was time that they took their leave.

But, even with such steeled resolve in mind, it wasn't enough that there was yet something else to hinder their progress—only this time it was something so abrupt and unprecedented that they couldn't have possibly anticipated it. They were just about to proceed to leap across to the neighboring roof as planned when a terrifying feeling like nothing they had felt before suddenly came over them: their bodies froze in place, and they could not move a single muscle no matter how hard they tried to. What was even more terrifying still was when, completely against their will, the force that gripped them actually made them step backwards, away from the edge of the building.

Thankfully, the paralyzing sensation was such that it only lasted a few seconds, yet with the terror that lingered behind, it felt like an eternity. The moment that they realized they were free, they heard something behind them—soft, hardly audible footsteps approaching them. Instantly certain that this person was the perpetrator, they whirled about in full preparation of a confrontation, Loz readying the Duel Hound, Yazoo swiftly drawing the Velvet Nightmare.

Upon facing the individual they knew was there, however, they were utterly disarmed and taken aback when they saw that it was a mere human, a young woman who hardly appeared older than the orange-haired girl. She was tall, yet was incredibly slender, her frail-looking frame clad in a jacket and blue, billowy dress that almost seemed to be of upper class standards. Her dark hair was quite long, the wavy tresses falling in waves over her shoulders and back, yet was pulled away from her doll-like face with a single ribbon, emphasizing her large, grey eyes that presently appeared rather misty and distant.

In the few moments that they took to scrutinize this mysterious woman's features, still alarmed by her unexpected presence, they suddenly felt on edge again when she lay those distant eyes upon them, seemingly only half aware that they were standing right there in front of her. Even in spite of their unnatural appearance, she barely seemed even half as startled as they were by her appearance. She blinked once at them, and then her eyes slid shut, her body growing limp before she collapsed to the ground.

The shock of simply seeing a person here, when they were absolutely positive the place had been deserted previously, still lingered as they stared at her unmoving form. While it soon faded to simple disbelief, and they had recomposed themselves enough to lower their weapons, they still could not tear their gaze away from her.

"Who _is_ she…?" Loz finally asked, wonderingly approaching the woman and looking further still upon her. "Where'd she come from?"

"As if I would know any better," Yazoo answered sharply, though softly, holstering his firearm again. Even he couldn't come up with a plausible explanation for who she was or where she might have come from. It was enough he shouldn't even be concerning himself with her identity or intentions, yet there was still something about her that perturbed him deeply as he continued to scrutinize her.

_That feeling we experienced just now… Was __**she **__the one who caused it?_ he could not help but wonder. It had been a sensation so strange and so fleeting they might as well have imagined it, yet had there been a reason behind it? Had it happened just so they would notice this girl, who collapsed only moments later? She appeared so sickly and frail, it was as if she had been wanting their help even when she hardly seemed to realize they were there.

All the while, Loz had come even nearer to the woman, kneeling down beside her and actually rolling her over onto her back so they could get a better look at her. There really wasn't much else to examine, though, aside from what they had already observed about her. Her breathing was regular, but she definitely seemed to be out cold, whatever had happened to her.

"Is she okay, y'think? She didn't look all that well."

At that point, though, Yazoo was hardly heeding what his brother was saying. Although the urge to search for the two sisters was returning to Yazoo, and he was still unsettled enough that he wished to be out of here as soon as possible, something lingered in him that he couldn't simply leave the girl behind. It actually took quite a bit of will to force him to turn away, to step towards the edge of the building again and finally be on his way as planned. Yet, there was still another hindrance when he realized Loz was hesitating, then heard a suspicious movement from behind, and exasperatingly turned back around for the third time to see Loz bringing himself to his full height, the unconscious girl in his arms.

Yazoo couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Loz, just what are you doing?"

"You… you were just gonna _leave_ her here?"

"Why should we bring her along? We don't even know who she is." Things Loz had done in the past had tried Yazoo's patience before, yet not often like this. "We have no reason to be concerned about her."

"But…" To Yazoo's frustration, Loz was still reluctant to simply leave her be. Even worse, he seemed to be having trouble voicing his reasons as to why he couldn't abandon her.

Sighing quietly, waiting for Loz to change his mind, Yazoo scrutinized the girl again, and found himself coming to a strange revelation—stranger still, it was making him think of the orange-haired girl. Just how many times had he tried to abandon her, believing that he had no further need for her and she would only be a burden, only to be proven completely wrong in the end? He also couldn't bring himself to forget how upset and angry it had made every time he had tried to leave her behind. He even recalled that strange expression she bore as they had left her today, though it only made him wonder even more why he would bother thinking about _her_ feelings…

"All right." Yazoo was sure Loz had flinched in surprise at his consent, yet had already turned his back on him, adamantly preparing to be on their way once and for all. "You can bring her along. Perhaps we can ask Aurei or her sister what we can do with her, once we find them."

"Do y'know where we can find them?" Though he made no blatant attempt to thank his brother, his gratitude was nonetheless evident in his voice.

"Mother said they should still be here in Junon, did she not? We certainly won't find them simply standing here and talking about it. Let's be off already, we've already had too many delays."

"Yeah. I… kinda miss them already anyway."

That made Yazoo scoff slightly, but he made no further comment as they at last jumped across to the other building, finally beginning their search for the two sisters, somewhere in this city, continuing to fulfill their mission for Mother. After all, come to think of it… he had rather been missing their presence as well.

**

* * *

**

"This will be a good place to stop, I think."

After having been on the run for what felt like half an hour (though it was more likely only half of that time), Aurei had finally decided that they had gone far enough that they were no longer so conspicuous, and had found a spot atop yet another building where they could lie low for a while until the commotion caused by the duel died down. As Raide still hadn't regained consciousness, they had placed him once more against a wall, Aurei even going so far as to heal him since his nose had also still been bleeding, though that hadn't helped in terms of reviving him.

In the meantime, Kallie had taken a seat on the floor, laying Raide's sword beside her and silently watching as Aurei attempted to revive him to no avail. As a matter of fact, Kallie hadn't said anything since they had first fled the scene, partially since she had likewise been concentrating on getting away, although mostly for the reason that she could not cease brooding over today's losses. It was something she still had trouble accepting, the fact that not only had she failed to save May, Raide had ended up defeating her once again.

_Why… __**Why**__ did this have to happen?_

Though Aurei hadn't been saying anything either, currently kneeling before their half-brother, Kallie still had a feeling she knew what was on her mind. It didn't bother Kallie that she wasn't receiving any sympathy from her, since sympathy was the last thing she wanted right now. More than anything, she was angry with herself for still being so weak, and even angrier with the other person inside of her, interfering yet again with her thoughts and emotions.

_Whoever—or whatever—the hell you are, are you just going to become another enemy of mine?_ As if she didn't have enough on her plate already, trying to deal with an impudent half-brother, his so-called 'boss', and those damn serpents, just to name a few. But, if anything, this alter ego was probably going to be the toughest adversary she would have to contend with, given that this entity was such an integral part of her very being. She might not even have the skills or power she needed were it not for this person, but damn did she have to pay a heavy price for it…

"So, what kinds of questions do you have in mind for our rebellious brother here?"

Having given up on resuscitating the little brat, Aurei had settled into a comfortable seated position in front of Raide, but had her head turned slightly towards her sister, waiting for a response.

"Find out where the hell May is," was Kallie's stiff reply, surprised that her voice had come out slightly hoarse. "That's all I care about knowing."

"But, how do you plan on learning that from him? Threatening him won't do us any good, as we've already seen."

It was tempting for Kallie to utter something along the lines of, 'Hell if I know', being as frustrated and impatient as she was right now, but she refrained. Even if Aurei was being her usual stern self, she knew she was only trying to be helpful, and Kallie realized that she ought to be thinking through her approach to this even more carefully, if she was to succeed in getting the answers she wanted.

"He's a bastard who has nothing to lose, so that really doesn't give us a lot of options, does it?" Kallie muttered dryly, curling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them.

"It does complicate things slightly." Aurei actually seemed amused by that statement, though it was minimal as ever. "Yet, for that reason, he just might be willing to tell us, especially given the position he's in right now. He might not see a reason to be hiding vital information from us anymore."

_I dunno… He seemed to be taking any opportunity he could just to spite us._ Yet, Kallie resolved to keep a positive, determined outlook on the situation. "Well, whatever the hell it takes to get answers out of him, we'll do it, won't we?"

"That's the spirit. We should also definitely try to ask about this 'boss' of his, since he—or she—is most certainly at the heart of everything that has been happening lately. Not only did Raide confirm that his 'boss' is the summoner of those serpents, but he or she is also probably the one to have told Shinra's Turks to capture you."

_Right, __**that**__. _She couldn't forget to add the Turks to her list of problems now, could she?

But, just when Kallie was thinking about the swordsman named 'Brother' that Yazoo and Loz had supposedly slain in Midgar's Ruins, wondering what the consequences of that would be, it was then that their own brother finally began to stir. As Raide was coming to, groaning and moving about slightly, his sisters immediately sat up straighter, watching intently and carefully while he regained consciousness. At last, it seemed that he had become semi-aware of his surroundings, for he muttered something slightly more coherent, weakly putting a hand to his head.

"Ugh…" he muttered. "What the hell… hit me…?"

Shortly after that, he rubbed his temple once again before lifting his head and seeing his half-sisters sitting there, gazing (or, in Kallie's case, glaring) at him quite warily.

"Rise and shine, bastard," Kallie spat at him contemptuously.

"You, huh…?" Only a minute of consciousness, and already he was smirking. "Since when were _you_ able to move…?"

"Ever since the tables were turned on you, Raide," Aurei informed him, rather icily. "You were going so fast, you missed your target and knocked yourself out."

"Oh, really?"

But, it was then, when he had recovered enough, that Raide seemed to realize that his movements were much more sluggish than they should, even if he had just come around. The first indication of this was when he appeared to try and dash for his sword that lay at Kallie's side, yet couldn't even seem to be capable of lifting himself up off the ground, and it didn't take him long to comprehend after that, that not only was his mobility hindered, he had been rendered incapable of using his beloved magic. He kept twitching his fingers, trying to get even a simple spark to ignite, yet was unable to.

"Damn it…" For the first time, he actually appeared angry about something. "You bitches… You did something to me, didn't you?"

"Just a simple spell to keep you in line, just so you would be easier to deal with. Your cooperation is all that's required to remove it."

"My cooperation, eh? Cooperation's overrated. But…" He manipulated his hand again, still attempting to use his magic, yet to no avail. His movements still appeared stiff and even tiresome. "Looks like I ain't got much of a choice, do I?"

"You're damn right you don't," growled Kallie. "You're gonna tell us everything you know about May and this boss of yours. You _know_ where May is, I know you do."

She probably would have been as vehement as before, yet after everything that had happened today, she couldn't muster the strength. Besides, seeing what good—or lack thereof—her fury and frustration had been doing for her, there was no point in losing her temper anymore, yet that didn't mean her determination in interrogating Raide and getting the answers she wanted had dissolved just yet. Not until she was together with May would that happen (and even then, she resolved to kick his ass). Thankfully, it seemed that Raide had actually decided to cooperate—somewhat, anyway.

"I know where she might've been taken, yeah. Not positive, but pretty sure."

"_Where_, then? And _don't_ beat around the bush either."

Raide chuckled haughtily. "No sense in doin' so, sis. The sooner I get this damn spell removed, the better. Nah, I'm pretty sure she was taken to Gongaga. That's where our… base is, if you could call it that."

"'Our'?" Aurei repeated, curiously. "You mean you and this boss of yours?"

"Bingo."

"Then, allow me to ask… Was she here earlier? I felt a presence, a powerful one, not long before you found us. Whoever it was created a force so strong, I couldn't even sense you, it was jarring my senses that badly."

"Your range is that good, ain't it? I admit, I don't got the hang of the whole sixth sense thing myself just yet. Anyway, that sounds just like something she'd do. But, yep, she was here, unbelievably. I didn't think she'd bother coming all this way."

"All this way for _what?_"

That despicable smirk returned. "You got half a noggin, don't you? Why don't you figure it out?"

Aurei's eyes narrowed. "She came all this way just to assume custody of May, didn't she? You were then left to fight us off and buy her some time to escape, were you not?"

At that, Kallie's chest tightened, and she couldn't utter a word, only able to dwell on the dreadful revelation she had come to.

_May… She __**was**__ here… I __**could**__ have saved her…_ _I could have saved her after all!_

"Well, nice to know I've got a sis who uses her brain. No sense in tryin' to lie when ya basically hit the nail right on the head, 'cuz that's _exactly_ what happened."

"Then, she's _still_ here, isn't she?" Kallie could not keep her excitement from returning, only partially aware that she had gotten to her feet, staring down at Raide. "Tell me, where the hell did they go? I'll head them off and take—!"

"_Kallie_," Aurei growled, and then Kallie found herself being yanked back down when her sister actually grabbed the hem of her jacket, firmly pulling her to the ground. "For once, stop getting ahead of yourself and think your actions through."

"_What?_" Kallie snapped back, but already knew what she was getting at.

"In the state you're in—and your skill level, I might add," Raide chimed in haughtily. "You're no match for my boss. Even if ya could catch up to them, which ain't likely at this point, you'd still be getting your ass kicked."

"Wanna bet?" she shot back darkly. "I can take care of those damn serpents like nothing else, what the hell can she be compared to them?"

"Really, Kallie?" Even Aurei was sounding skeptical. "Don't be so arrogant, especially after your lack of success here today."

As if that didn't make Kallie's neck burn enough with abashment, Raide laughed harshly. "Good one, sis."

_Oh, shut the hell up already_, thought Kallie, placing her chin on her knee again with a groan.

"Really, though, my boss is nothin' to get cocky about." As he had been deriding and condescending himself only a moment ago, it was strange to see Raide suddenly turn quite serious—even slightly pensive. (That could be all due to the effects of Aurei's restraining spell, though.) "Those serpents of hers are barely even a taste of what her true power's like… I'd know, since I've seen it for myself…"

"You have?"

"Yep. Ya see, one day, she wanted me to test out my powers against, just to see what it'd be like. I took her up on the challenge, thinkin' it'd be a piece of cake… Man, let me tell ya, it hurt like nothin' else I've ever felt in battle before, and I thought _I_ was good. I couldn't even land a single scratch on her. She's a strong warrior, and an experienced one too, that much I've seen."

"I see…" Though her voice was rather nonchalant, Aurei actually appeared to be quite troubled about this. "Can she do more than simply summon those serpents, then?"

"Oh yeah. I've seen her do some crazy shit with her powers before. I dunno if I'd call her 'all-powerful', but she's pretty damn close."

"What _kind_ of shit, though? And what makes her so damn powerful anyway?"

"Teleportation, clairvoyance, strange healing spells, and other magic that I don't even know if they've got a name, but they sure do hurt. As for her power source… well, 'bout three months ago, she had me fetch a special materia called the White Materia, and with it she's using a special somethin' called Holy."

_The White Materia… Holy…_ Those names were ringing the familiar bells of a nostalgia that didn't even belong to her, yet this time it felt even more distant than before. They were certainly terms that she had heard before, though, and from the vague look of recognition that had come over Aurei's face, they were familiar to her as well. Apparently, the same went for Raide, and he too noticed their looks of distant recollection.

"Ah, ya remember it too, huh?"

"…Barely. Obviously, though, it must be a collection of tremendous holy energy, correct?"

"Bingo. It was _almost_ powerful enough to stop Meteor two years ago, if y'all remember that. It went dormant for a while after that, but after I got the White Materia for my boss, she got it all started up again, and now she's got control of it."

"Then, she really must be strong…" The tightening was closing in even more sharply around her chest, well aware of what this meant for her mission. "But, there's gotta be a way to beat her, right? I mean, you said yourself she's not all-powerful, and there's gotta be drawbacks to having such power, _right_?"

"If there are, I sure as hell couldn't find 'em when I fought her, or I might've actually stood a chance against her. I'm telling ya, she'll just kick your asses."

"That won't stop me!" Kallie suddenly declared avidly. Though she refrained from leaping to her feet again, suspecting Aurei would simply drag her back down again, she had still sat up much straighter, pounding her fist on the ground. "I'll find some way to defeat her, just you wait! Anything it takes to get May back, I'll do it!"

"Good luck with that, sis," Raide chuckled complacently. "My boss is pretty damn determined to make sure nobody gets a hold of little May… not until she's done with her, anyway."

"What the hell do you mean by that? Just tell me what the hell's so damn _special_ about her! She's _my_ cousin, and I have a right to know!"

Much to her vexation, however, his smugness became more prominent than ever. "Nothin' can do, sorry. That's it for all I'm tellin' ya—top secret, it is. I'm still under orders from my boss, y'know."

"Screw your _orders_, then! Just tell—!"

"He's told us enough for now, Kallie."

Indignantly, Kallie whipped her head towards her sister. "How the hell can you say that? She's your cousin too! We both deserve to know all we can about this!"

"I agree completely, and I, too, would like to find out more about May's situation."

"Then, why don't you—!"

"Because I ain't tellin' any more, that's why," he said, smirking. "'Sides… I dunno if you'd _want_ to find out more 'bout May."

"I think I very much would!"

Yet, suddenly, a thought seemed to strike Kallie, and she unexpectedly went very quiet, actually appearing quite contemplative for once. Her siblings fixated her with quizzical looks, though she paid no heed for a short while until she just as suddenly announced what had been on her mind.

"All right, that's it. You're coming with us, Raide, and you'd better not say no!"

It was clear something neither of them had been expecting to pop out of Kallie's mouth, for Raide had visibly flinched with surprise, and even Aurei looked taken aback—it didn't last long on Raide's part, though.

"Y'know, no matter how much y'might pester me about it, I ain't tellin' ya anythin' until my boss does—those're her orders. But, since we're gonna be goin' to the same place anyway, I might as well tag along. I _hate_ travelin' alone, let me tell ya."

"…It's settled, then." Kallie just had the feeling Aurei would say that she had been planning to ask Raide the same thing, even if she didn't end up making a direct reference to it. "This will just serve our purposes too. Not only can we keep an eye on you, but you can lead us directly to your 'base' as well."

"It just works out _perfect_, don't it?" He laughed darkly. "Still, just 'cuz I'll be travelin' with ya, don't trust me to _not_ do dishonest things. I'm still gonna be servin' _my_ purposes, y'know. I could still backstab ya anytime I wanted."

"Of course. But, you won't, because you need us in one piece. Your boss wants Kallie in one piece, does she not?"

"Touché, ya got me there. There's still no tellin' what else I could do, though. I mean, I could be leadin' ya into a trap if I was told to."

_What your boss wants with __**me**__ is just something else I'll be finding out from you._ "In that case, that means we'll just be taking every measure we can to make _sure_ you behave! And once we're reunited with our silver-haired buddies, we won't have _any_ problems keeping you in line!"

Aurei perked an eyebrow at that. "'Buddies', you say…? You wouldn't have been saying that about them a day or so ago, let alone actually want them to continue accompanying us."

"Well, if there's anything that they'd be coming in handy for, this would be it! C'mon, don't you want to see them again? You and Loz seemed to be getting along pretty well."

"…Only at a comradeship level." Nonetheless, from the way Aurei had slightly flinched moments prior, Kallie could tell that she had struck a chord somewhere; like Yazoo, sadly enough, she also seemed reluctant to openly admit she had friends. She even appeared somewhat forlorn in as she said, "It's just as well, anyway. I doubt that they'll be coming back. Didn't you see how they were when they left us? They've most likely separated from us for good, in search of their mother."

_You __**so**__ miss Loz, sister._ Well, even if she won't openly admit it, she _was_ going to be glad to hear what Kallie had to say, upon remembering something Yazoo himself had told her only yesterday. "Yeah, but… while we still separated yesterday, and I was asking Yazoo if he and Loz would be sticking with us here in Junon, and he said that he and Loz were to search for their mother by themselves. So… even though he really didn't say it outright… I think that means they're still planning to travel with us!"

"You're really going to let _him_ get your hopes up? Didn't he abandoned you twice before in the past, despite having promised to help you out?"

"Yeah, but… that was a while ago, before we really got started on our journey. Maybe it was because of what happened in the Mythril Mines, but he really started to treat me differently yesterday. Sure, he was being an asshole like usual, but he was… actually being kind of _nice_ to me."

"Aww, you plannin' on askin' him out? How sweet of ya, sis."

An embarrassed heat so blazingly warm rippled through her body, like one of her own Fire spells had decided to ignite itself in her chest. Feeling like her cheeks were burning, she wildly whirled to see Raide sneering, evidently proud that he had touched a nerve in her.

"Shut up, you sicko!" she fired up, mortified by the idea. "It's not like that _at all!_ I'm just glad that he wasn't treating me like dirt like he usually does!"

Nonetheless, from the way Raide was still smugly smirking at her, she could tell that he well knew the real story; her defensive reaction really probably hadn't helped things either, for she had possibly buried the needle in deeper. Even if the notion that she wanted to date Yazoo was far, _far_ from the truth, Raide had still most likely been able to guess that she had feelings for the silver-haired man—strong ones, too. The worst part about that was that, not only was he quite observant, but he wouldn't have any qualms about using those observations against other people.

Suddenly, her plan of having both her annoying half-brother and the silver-haired men along didn't seem quite so swell anymore. Even if he hadn't really guessed that she felt for Yazoo and had just been making fun of her for the hell of it, if he were to see the interactions between herself and that man, it wouldn't take him long to discern the truth. Worse yet, he would more than likely tease Yazoo about it as well, and she hardly dared to imagine how he might react to that. At least it was more likely he wouldn't understand what Raide was trying to get at and simply ignore him, but if he _did_ somehow understand, would it cause him to reject and distance himself from her? Or…

_Could he even… feel something too?_ That was way, way too much for her to even think of asking for, though. For the time being, however, at least Aurei was going to step in to help save the day—again.

"We're all simply comrades, Raide, but they have proven themselves to be quite helpful to us, and have helped us get out of some sticky situations. In spite of their status as criminals, we truly do have much to be thankful to them for." She sighed. "I… apologize for my pessimism regarding their return, Kallie. It's not that I don't want to see them again, but as they could be anywhere in—or out—of Junon, they've made it quite impossible for us to find them again. I would… rather not get my hopes up about it."

"Wow, ya really gotta lighten up, sis."

Amazingly enough, for once Kallie was inclined to agree with him. "C'mon, how can you give up hope that they won't ever come back? We haven't even _tried_ to look for them yet! They might even be trying to find us as we speak, but haven't had any luck either."

"Then… would you like to go search for them?"

The unexpected proposal took her off guard slightly. "S-sure… But, what about you?"

"I'll be staying here with Raide, of course. I won't remove the spell until you return—hopefully with our silver-haired companions. If they are indeed searching for us right now, then it should be helpful to them if one of us were to stay in one place."

Raide, however, wasn't quite a fan of that idea. "What the—? Hey, this ain't what we agreed on! Ya said you'd remove—!"

"Shut it, you. But, you sure about this, Aurei? You really wanna hang by yourself with this bastard?"

"What, think I can't handle our baby brother here?"

"_What?_ Don't be takin' advantage of me here! That ain't cool at all!"

"Quiet, Raide. You're in no position to object. Well, what are you waiting for, Kallie?"

"Absolutely nothing! How soon do you want me back?"

"By the time it starts to grow dark, which should be in a few hours or so. That should give you plenty of time, correct?"

"Yep, you can count on me!"

* * *

_Where could they be…?_

As much as they both had the urge to find the three siblings again, Yazoo knew that such a task would be much easier said than done. Both sides of the group had gone their separate ways without indicating to the other where they might be or where they could meet up again, although he and Loz were mostly likely the ones to blame for that, given the single-mindedness that had begun to possess them at that time. Even he vaguely recalled having said something about how nothing would be certain anymore (for his memories of that stretch of time were still blurred), yet he wished he had known sooner what Mother had wanted of them.

Speaking of Mother, though he wished that they could ask for her guidance, to help lead them in the right direction so their mission could continue as she wanted, he knew it would be too much to ask of her—especially after all that she had done for them. In fact, he had the dismal realization it was because of how much strength her parting gifts had cost them that was the reason for why they couldn't hear her right now. Even if she wished to help them at such a crucial moment, she wouldn't be able to summon enough power to do so.

Strangely enough, it was just as he wondering if, it came down to it, she could possibly give them some sort of sign, somehow it seemed Mother might have been leading them in the right direction after all. It was something that they might have missed under normal circumstances, yet Loz happened to spy something rather curious upon a rooftop they were passing, and once Yazoo saw it for himself, both of them immediately headed over to investigate.

Sure enough, once they arrived at the spot, they at once knew that Mother had been correct in saying that the siblings had engaged in combat, for they had a powerful suspicion they had just found the place where the confrontation had taken place. The concrete was charred and blackened in many places, and the floor even felt rather heated underfoot, either indicating that the battle had occurred quite recently, or the fire that had been used had simply been that potent. There also happened to be a sort of strong static charge to the air as well, like one would feel in the aftermath of a particularly fierce storm. But, the clincher that the siblings had been here was the thick layer of ice over the handles to the doors that led to the rooftop, a frozen glob that should be melting in such mild weather, yet appeared as pristine as any crystal.

"If they fought here, then they musta left a while ago," Loz noted the obvious, looking about, seemingly depressed that they stood where the siblings had actually been, yet had arrived too late. He still carried the unknown, unconscious girl in his arms. "Think we can find where they went from here?"

Though Yazoo did not respond, he did glance around them for any clues that might indicate where the comrades they sought were right now, yet he could already tell that there were no clues to be had. From what still resided of the battle that had transpired here, he could deduce that the duel had drawn quite the commotion, and hence Aurei had sealed the door with her magic. From the lack of Ice magic elsewhere, though, he had a strong feeling that she hadn't participated in the fight—it had solely been between the orange-haired girl and the half-brother she despised so much. Exactly who the victor had been, however, remained to be seen…

_Were you competent enough that you defeated him, girl? Or are you still far too weak?_ Any defeat that she had suffered would by no means garner any respect from him, but he wasn't sure how he might react if she had been victorious… Then again, after all Mother had said about her, his current thoughts regarding the orange-haired girl had become quite conflicted, whether or not she had truly won his respect, or if she was even getting to that point. Despite all that Mother had told him, somehow he could not bring himself to fully respect her, and yet—

_No, forget it._

It was a trivial thought that he needn't dwell on. What he thought of her was of no consequence to their mission; like Aurei and Raide, she was simply an ally to aid them in their travels. It was only because Mother had asked them to rejoin the siblings that he was bothering to seek them out again, wasn't it? What other reason could he possibly have?

"Where're we gonna find them, Yazoo?" Loz asked again, still waiting for some sort of response, readjusting his grip on the girl, even though she had to be as light as a feather to him. "We _can_ find 'em again, right?"

"If Mother commands it, of course we will," Yazoo reminded him coolly.

Was that truly the only reason behind his tenacity, though? Loz, it seemed, had developed quite an attachment to both of the sisters, for almost no reason other than the fact that they were comrades. That attachment… was _that_ what Yazoo was starting to feel? He wasn't about to further inquire his childish brother about what that attachment was like, however—not only would he probably not get a useful explanation, but perhaps it would keep things simple for him if he didn't know…

Regardless, after he and Loz briefly discussed their next move and continued their search through Junon, Yazoo could not help but notice that, though he tried to objectively keep his eyes peeled for all three of the siblings, he particularly sought out a familiar head of orange hair among the rooftops and the crowds below. Something had drawn him towards that girl, and he could not yet grasp why.

**

* * *

**

On Kallie's end, she was hardly having any better luck in finding the same people who were trying to find her and her siblings at that very moment. With Junon being laid out the way it was, set in even, tiered rows, she thought that her task ought to be a lot simpler than it was being right now. Then again, however, Junon had been the second largest city next to Midgar, and now most likely the biggest after Meteorfall, especially given how many people had moved here due to Meteor's threat two years ago. Junon definitely felt a _lot_ bigger than she remembered it had been, anyways.

_Just makes it feel like even more of a needle in a haystack…_ she glumly sighed to herself, scanning her surroundings once again before slouching forward onto her knees with a groan. _Damn it, I really need a break…_

Yep, definitely a break, and more than just the one kind either. Not only did she want a respite from all this crazy leaping and jumping and running around, but a major lead as to where her 'silver-haired buddies' were would be quite welcome too.

_Hey, voice that likes to pop up in my head when I need you most_, she suddenly spoke up, directly addressing that omnipotent voice that had aided her and guided her so frequently. _If you say these guys are so important to us, then maybe you could help point me in the right direction? Just a little hint, even?_

Hence, she sought to strain every sense in her body, opening herself to the tiniest whisper or the slightest impulse that might tell her where she could possibly search for Loz and Yazoo. Yet, though she stood there for maybe a minute, almost in a state of meditation, she actually found that the most she was accomplishing was perhaps nearly falling asleep while fully upright, she was that tired from the day's occurrences. Smacking herself in the face, shaking her head slightly, she exhaled wearily as she looked around again to find next to nothing had changed.

_Well, damn_. As if she had expected that to work anyway. Judging from those few times that she had heard the voice, though, it seemed it would only choose to speak to her when it felt like it, when she wasn't outright asking for its help and wasn't expecting it to talk to her.

_When I'm least expecting it, huh…?_

That thought in of itself gave her an unexpected realization, causing her to remember an age old adage that she had heard from many people and places before, including her dear Uncle: something that you're looking for might turn up when you're not actually looking for it, or… something like that. Well, she didn't know just _how_ true that statement was, since Mom had never quite turned up when they had stopped looking for her long ago.

Nevertheless, if there was any merit to that supposition, then maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to temporarily suspend her search for the two brothers and do something else for a little bit—something else that she had been wanting to do here in Junon, actually. If all her plans here to rescue May and defeat Raide had fallen through (which they pretty much had), then she had decided that the least she could do to make her time in Junon worthwhile would be to pay her dear friend, Meryl, a visit.

In their limited correspondence, she had always regretfully informed her that, due to present circumstances, she had no idea when she would be able to see her again. Now that unexpected circumstances had arisen, however, and she happened to be in Junon itself, Kallie wasn't about to let this once-in-a-lifetime chance slip by. Though she barely knew her way around her Junon, she at least knew Meryl's address, as well as her phone number.

The only thing she realized that she ought to be wary of, however, was simply her appearance: with her travel-worn and battle-torn garments, as well as her looks that were, in general, quite disheveled, she would certainly be raising quite a few eyebrows. She couldn't quite forget about her chakrams or combat gloves either. While Meryl wouldn't be the type to really suspect anything, and perhaps not her mother either, her father was a different story—he _worked_ for W.R.O., after all, as an engineer, just as he had for Shinra.

_Would he buy my story that I've come all this way looking for May?_ If she had to explain everything, could she simply leave it at that? Would she not have to mention the fact that she had been traveling around with some silver-haired criminals and her long-lost sister, the fact that she had been after her half-brother and now some mysterious woman, let alone the fact that she could wield all these crazy powers? She certainly couldn't let on all that she had done to get here, including destroying some W.R.O. property and sneaking on board a W.R.O. vessel…

_I'm just gonna have to become a really, __**really**__ good liar in a really short amount of time, that's all._ Much easier said than done, considering how much of an honest soul she had always been, and she especially couldn't flat-out lie to the man that always been so kind and generous towards her. The Rainiers had always been like that.

Her revelations leaving her even more crestfallen than before, Kallie finally slouched to the ground, almost feeling like her body had given up on her. If there was just _one_ thing that could work out for her today, here in Junon, maybe this would all be so much easier. If she couldn't reunite with May, if she couldn't defeat Raide, at the very least she could see a close friend, even if it could only be for a few minutes.

In her determination, it was then she came up with a simple solution: she could merely call Meryl and ask her to come meet up with her somewhere. It was still an idea she was reluctant to put into action, however, considering Meryl's poor physical condition—she could hardly take long walks anywhere out of concern that she would overexert her fragile body. But, as Kallie soon came to reason, as long as she didn't make her travel far, she knew that Meryl ought to be all right. It still meant that Kallie had to make up some story as to how and why she was here in Junon, but it was nonetheless the best—and perhaps only—option she had right now if she wanted to make this work.

From that point forward, the cogs in Kallie's head were set to work as she tried to formulate not only an alibi to explain to Meryl's parents, but also think of someplace that would work best as a meeting spot. All of that, while she was simply attempting to find the best way back down to the ground, after having been wandering around on the rooftops for so long, just to find a payphone and not draw too much attention to herself.

It didn't take her that long before she found that she could simply jump down onto a nearby fire escape and head down that way, all while ensuring no one was around to see a random girl making her way down from atop a building. Even when she was on the ground, she took those same measures due to her disheveled appearance, and managed to find a set of payphones in a dingy back street where there were too few to be a concern. Despite the impoverished setting that they were set up in, Kallie was all too relieved to find that one was still in decent working order. Inserting the required amount of gil, she dialed the number to Meryl's apartment and breathlessly waited as the phone on the other end began to ring.

When no one came to pick up right away, however, it was then it really struck Kallie that another simple thing that could make this plan fall through the roof was if no one was there to receive her call. At least it meant she didn't have to face the trouble of making her alibi sound plausible, but still… Thankfully, that particular fear was short-lived when, after a few rings, someone did pick up, and Kallie's heart nearly stopped. Almost without introducing herself, she was on the verge of jumping the gun and immediately asking for Meryl when she just as quickly received another scare: it was Meryl's mother who had picked up, and she sounded absolutely panicked.

"Have you found anything yet?" Normally, Mrs. Rainier was quite amiable and courteous, but she hadn't even greeted the caller before frantically plowing onward, "Oh _please_, tell me you know something!"

"Uh, found anything…?" This definitely wasn't how she wanted to begin a chat with any of the Rainiers, and the news that followed was the last thing she wanted to hear:

"About my daughter, Meryl! You've _got_ to help us, she's gone missing!"

**

* * *

**

_We're really gonna be with Aurei and Kallie again… Mother __**wants**__ us to be with them…_

Though for some strange reason he hadn't been thinking clearly at the time, reflecting on what Mother had told them about their alliance, nothing had made Loz happier than to learn they could continue traveling with the sisters. Ironically enough, though, had Yazoo actually asked him what it was like to have an attachment to a being other than Mother, Loz really wouldn't have been able to explain it, for he was hardly aware that he had actually developed attachment. It was no different than his devotion to Mother or to his brothers; he cared about them and worried about them, and would fight for them even if it meant putting his life on the line. They, too, had begun to mean something to him.

In all of his ignorance, however, it hadn't occurred to him what question he had yet to ask himself: if that time ever came, if he could make only one choice, who would he choose over who? Was Mother still the most important figure in his life, or were the sisters slowly assuming that role? When it came down to it, Loz didn't even realize what he was getting himself into. Perhaps the signs of that were showing even now in the unknown woman he was carrying in his arms, a woman he didn't eve know and had still been concerned about her regardless…

"Wait, Loz."

Always so blissfully unaware of his surroundings, even though he was determinedly searching for his companions, it was perhaps fortunate that he had a brother who was otherwise so diligently watchful and observant. After hardly scanning the street below as Yazoo had been so careful of doing, Loz had just been about to make the leap to the next building when Yazoo actually grabbed the straps crossing his back, pulling him back from the edge. After shooting a slight scornful look at him, Yazoo gestured with his head towards the street below, and when his brother followed his gaze, Loz nearly forgot himself in his sudden excitement.

"I-it's _her!_"

Sure enough, almost directly in front of them, on the opposite side of the street, stood a very familiar, distinctive figure. Though her back was to them and they could not get a clear view of her face, there was no mistaking that plait of orange hair, or the pair of chakrams at her hip. At once, however, seeing where she was set up a confusing scenario for them: there was no sign of either of her siblings anywhere, and she clearly wasn't engaged in combat. In fact, she happened to be standing in front of a set of run-down payphones, inserting some gil and dialing a number, waiting for whoever it was on the other end to pick up. After a little while, it seemed someone had picked up, and she began speaking into the receiver, though from their current position, Loz or Yazoo could barely hear a thing, even with their heightened sense of hearing.

"It's her," Loz said again, "But… where're the others? Why's she by herself?"

"We can find out." Having been trying to decipher what she might be doing here, Yazoo knew he wasn't about to figure it out from mere observation. "You stay here with the girl, Loz, I will go speak to her."

Without waiting for a response (Loz had merely shrugged his shoulders anyway), Yazoo took one look around to make sure the coast was clear before jumping straight to the sidewalk below, landing with almost feline gracefulness. Though the impact had been rather quiet, he was sure that the girl would have noticed him regardless, yet she hardly did a thing to acknowledge his arrival. She seemed too engrossed in the conversation to be aware of anything else, actually; upon approaching even closer, he soon realized exactly why.

"Please, Mrs. Rainier, calm down!" She was attempting to reason with a rather frantic-sounding woman on the line, though the name was completely unfamiliar to him—he had never heard her speak of a Mrs. Rainier before. "Please, tell me what's going on. What's happened to Meryl? Has she gone missing?"

It was still somewhat hard to tell what the woman was saying, but it seemed that she had begun to regain her composure, asking a little more calmly who the caller was.

"It's me, Kallie."

"…_Kallie?"_ Now that the woman had calmed down some, it was much easier to hear what she was saying. "Kallie _Bradford_?"

"That's right."

"Oh, Kallie, it's been such a while since I've heard from you! But, the number you're calling from is a Junon area code… Are you _here_, in Junon?"

"I am."

"You _are_, then? But, what on earth are you doing here?"

"…That's a really long story, I'm afraid, and I don't have much time to tell you." During her moment of hesitation, Yazoo had been wondering how the girl was going to explain everything that had brought her to this city. It was a weak excuse on her part, though it seemed to pass. "I was hoping to see Meryl while I was here, but… she's gone _missing?"_

"I'm afraid so." Though she didn't become frantic again, the anxiety was all too prevalent in her voice. "We thought that she had been sleeping in all morning, but when we checked her room, she wasn't there! My husband has been looking for her ever since on the streets, and I've been staying home just in case, but… Oh, I hope nothing's happened to her!"

"So do I." The girl herself did not sound pleased with the information, and it seemed to Yazoo that this 'Meryl' was yet someone else who was close to her. "I'm really sorry, Mrs. Rainier. I'll definitely try and look for her, but I'm not sure how much longer I'll be in Junon."

"All right… But dear, you sound exhausted. Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine…" From the tone of her voice, however, that couldn't be farther from the truth, even as she chuckled wanly. "It's just been a long day. I definitely wasn't hoping to hear about this."

"Yes… Well, would you still like to stop by sometime today? It would be nice to finally talk to you again, when we haven't seen you in two years. It really has been too long."

"I know. I'd love to come over, but again, I'll have to see. I'll call back and let you know, okay?"

"All right," the woman said again. "Take care, Kallie, and let me know what happens."

"I will."

There was a final exchange of farewell between them before the girl hung up the phone, though Yazoo noted she did so with a certain amount of fatigue. Rubbing her eyes with one hand, she continued to stare at the phone before suddenly banging her head against the booth, letting her forehead rest against it with a groan of utter despondency.

"Why, _why_ is this suddenly the shittiest day of my life?" she grumbled, and from that Yazoo was easily able to deduce that, in all likelihood, she had been unable to retrieve her cousin in spite of her hell-bent determination to do so. How unfortunate, really, after all she had put herself through just to get herself here, only to end in failure…

It was then that Yazoo blinked, taken aback by the thought that had just drifted across his mind. After swearing up and down that he had no concern for the girl's plight and he could care less about her troubles, had he really, just now, expressed sympathy towards her? Having spoken with Mother must be the reason why he was suddenly feeling these novel emotions, feelings he thought he would never feel about the girl—after all, hadn't Mother herself told him to be more respectful of her? Perhaps the girl's personal mission was vital to his and Loz's own mission…

_Either way, it matters not how I feel._ Whatever he did feel towards the girl was completely irrelevant to his mission—all that did matter was that he fulfill Mother's request, ensuring that she and her siblings survived, aiding them in their quest all while trying to determine just how they could be useful to Mother. That was it, nothing more.

When she had ended her call, Yazoo had stepped even closer to her so that only a few feet of space separated them; even though he was in such close proximity to her, she still hadn't realized he was there, and he was willing to bet it was all because of how weary she must be. Nevertheless, he found he didn't really care if she noticed him or not, he was simply going to wait until she did acknowledge his presence. As he would soon find out, however, waiting would be the preferable option, simply because of just how she finally realized who was standing right behind her.

After remaining in that position for nearly half a minute, she finally lifted herself away with another sigh that soon turned into a yawn. Stretching out her shoulders and flexing her arms, she then at last turned around, taking a step forward as if to walk away somewhere. But then, upon seeing that there was someone immediately in front of her, she started, abruptly pulled up short. There was a suspension of bewilderment as she lifted her head to look him in the face with tired hazel eyes, and it was then, at fully perceiving his identity, did she react.

All out of sheer shock, she gasped, uttering an incoherent curse and stumbling backwards until she hit the phone booth behind her, actually knocking the phone from its hook in the process. When that happened, she continued to teeter to the left until she fell against the wall behind her, her hands covering her face as she proceeded to gasp for breath, actually trembling slightly. To Yazoo, it might have seemed like an amusing overreaction, yet to Kallie, that had truly been one of the biggest scares of her life.

"You… _You…"_ she said shakily, lifting her face up from behind her hands. "You… _moron. _Don't you ever, _ever_ do that again! Holy shit, where the hell did you come from…?"

"If you had noticed sooner that I'd been standing here, perhaps you wouldn't have been frightened so terribly. Then again, you would have most likely reacted the same regardless of what I did."

"Don't start assuming things, jerk! I've been looking for you and Loz all over this damn city, and the last thing I expected was you sneaking up on me!"

"Conversing on a phone doesn't look much like 'searching' to me."

Well, if there was one thing that hadn't changed between them, it was that neither he nor Kallie had seen the last of their usual bickering. It was almost as if they had never been separated, as if they had been apart for only minutes and not hours… almost, anyways. It wasn't going to be long before Kallie saw those changes in him, his change of attitude towards her, and she would wonder just what had happened to him during that time he had been gone.

For the time being, however, Kallie sure did have a bone to pick with him.

"Only because I was getting sick of looking for you two! Seriously, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack! _Maybe_ if you guys hadn't wandered off like you did, we could've arranged a meeting place or something. But, you didn't even say that you'd be joining up with us again!"

"And that upsets you?"

Sighing tiredly, her gaze fell towards the ground for a few moments before she slumped forward, her hands resting on her knees with a groan.

"I don't know… I'm sorry, Yazoo, I'm just… exhausted as all hell right now. If you didn't overhear already, it's been one of the worst days of my life. First… Raide kicked my ass, then we found out that May's been taken to Gongaga, and now…" Exhaling, Kallie pulled herself upright again, heavily leaning back against the wall behind her. "I just found out my best friend's gone missing. Fantastic, right? Not like you'd give a crap about my day."

"Who is she? I've never heard you speak of this 'Meryl' before."

That was the first indication Kallie received that something was different about him, taken by complete surprise that he actually _had_ seemed to give a crap about her day as she stared at him incredulously. Of course, Yazoo was only partially aware of how he had proved her wrong.

"What? I think I deserve to know, since you chose to contact her instead of continuing your search for us."

Her expression darkened then, though her bewildered gaze still lingered on him as she looked away, beginning to reminiscence on better days.

"Meryl Rainier… She's been a true friend all my life, ever since we met when we were still just kids." The memories of her friend actually brought a dim smile to her features. "That makes her my only childhood friend, really, and we're still real close even now, even once she had to move here to Junon two years, when the threat of Meteor first arrived. We've been keeping in touch with letters and phone calls and such, and I was so happy to finally have a possibility of seeing her again…" Her smile then faded as she sighed. "It's not the first time she's wandered off like this, but… she always came back. I just hope nothing's happened to her, 'cuz the last thing I need now is to lose someone _else_ who's close to me…"

Unsure of what to say to that, though strangely unable to simply ignore her or attempt to bring up another topic, Yazoo let them stand there in silence for a short while. Thankfully, it wasn't long before the girl herself, after rubbing her eyes again and brushing out her bangs, decided to change the subject, perhaps to get her mind off such a dismal notion.

"So, then, Yazoo…" Standing at her full height now, she looked him in the eye with all earnest, plainly wanting an honest, straightforward answer. "If you're here right now, if you found me here, then… does that mean you and Loz were also looking for us?"

Though it took him a little while to respond, Yazoo met and held that gaze with just as much earnest. "Of course. Did you really have a lack of faith in us returning to you?"

"N-no." That seemed to fluster the girl, for she quickly looked away almost sheepishly, rubbing the side of her neck. "I just… It's just that you guys just kind of walked off, without saying goodbye or even a 'see you later'—only you said something like, 'nothing is for certain,' and it just made me wonder if you two were planning on leaving us for good. I mean, I know you said you and Loz were meant to complete your mission here alone," she quickly added, when it seemed Yazoo would retort with that very reminder. "But, still… I felt like you were never going to come back."

"Well… we have. Does that satisfy you?"

Looking back at him then, she smiled again, this time directly at him. "Never thought I'd be saying this in a million years, but yeah… I'm happy that you came back. In fact, I was actually hoping that you would come back, 'cuz it looks like we're really gonna be needing your help now."

"Really?" Yet, upon hearing footsteps coming down an adjacent street, it was then that it suddenly hit Yazoo that any explanations to fill each other in on what had been happening would have to wait. "I am curious to know why, yet that is something we can discuss later, once our group is fully reunited. I've been keeping Loz waiting long enough anyway."

"Oh, is he nearby?" She chuckled. "Yeah, definitely don't wanna keep him waiting anymore than we have to. I can take you both back to Aurei, since she said she would be waiting with Raide until I returned, whether or not you guys were with me. And yeah, it's a long story…" she explained hastily, when Yazoo had given her an inquisitive look upon her mentioning Raide.

"Very well, then come with me."

Turning about, Yazoo was just preparing himself for a huge leap back up to the rooftop where he knew his brother was waiting (Loz happened to be out of sight), yet he was suddenly stopped for a rather unexpected reason.

"Wait, Yazoo, just one more thing." Once he had looked back over his shoulder at her, she proceeded to ask, "Did you… find your mother?"

"…We did."

Left with Yazoo's short, blunt reply, she watched as he leapt straight up to the top of that building, flipping once just before he reached the rooftop and landed, walking out of sight. While Kallie always had to marvel how he could clear such distances in a single bound, as she admired just about any of his acrobatic feats, it wasn't enough to inspire her in doing the same. Once again, she felt she had done enough superhuman feats of her own for one day, and decided to head up the way she had come down via the fire escape stairs (which thankfully were attached to the last building she had been standing on before she had descended to the ground).

As she made her ascension back up to where Loz and Yazoo waited, however, her mind had been sent straight back into a fresh whirl about everything that had just happened to her, even though she was no longer in such shock from the encounter. It was hard to tell exactly what she was feeling right now, with so many different sentiments wracking her body—many of them similar, some of them conflicting, and the latter had only just come about thanks to the return of Yazoo's presence.

Never had she felt so beaten and weary in her entire life, never had she felt so crestfallen and depressed about so many things, yet simply seeing that man again had brought about an unidentifiable uplifting emotion in her, one that actually nearly neutralized those negative feelings. When she had said that, if she had been hoping one thing would go right today, it would be finding them again, Kallie really hadn't been lying. What was more, it made her even more elated to know that Yazoo had actually been searching for her too.

Yet, as she reflected upon that conversation a little more, as she recalled his every word… there was something that prevented her from being completely thrilled about the incident. It wasn't just that he had been a jerk as usual, or even that she hated him for making her feel this way. What it was exactly, though, she couldn't put her finger on it.

All she knew was that, as he had been speaking to her, she couldn't help but notice something seemed to be different about him. Even as he had been scorning her for being initially oblivious to his presence and having taken a break in her search for them, his feline eyes had been lacking that familiar disdain and derision. Even as he had seemingly expressed interest in her missing friend, Meryl, it hadn't seemed to be out of genuine concern. Something had been missing; something had changed about him, and she wasn't sure if it was for the better. In fact, upon thinking deeper about it, it actually made her feel slightly unsettled.

_That's just you, isn't it, Yazoo? Making me feel all these things I don't want to feel? _

But, it was just because of that that he was continuing to draw her in. The mystery surrounding him continued to haunt her. If he and Loz had left forever, she would not be content to be left with so many unanswered questions. Her curiosity still burned to know exactly who he was—what he was, and she wouldn't be satisfied until she found out. She wanted to know what _their_ mission was, and why they had ended up in this mess together. Continuing to journey with them was the only way she knew she could find those answers.

_Someday, I __**will**__ get to the bottom of this… I have to._ Strange enough as it sounded, Kallie was starting to think that, maybe, just maybe, she was meant to.

**

* * *

**

_Well, I can't really say that this chapter has been up to my usual standards in writing, but honestly, I can sure as hell say that I'm happy to be writing the interactions between the remnants and the siblings again! (And that's how I'll have to refer to them from now on, lol.) Particularly Kallie and Yazoo, of course, and I'm sure others will be, too. Of course, we can see that some things seemed to have changed between them, especially with Yazoo. It'll be interesting to explore the changes in their relationship; as far as I can foresee, though, it'll most likely be quite tense and uncertain as they figure out how they feel about each other. And that girl who Loz happens to be carrying around? She just might be who you think she is, and she might have more significance than has been initially been led on…_

_That's all I can say for now. As usual, I hope to be hearing from more of you guys!_


	29. Persistence Of Enigma

_I'M SO HAPPY. Well, maybe not completely, in terms of how life is right now, hectic as always with school and personal stuff and whatnot, but I am certainly happy with how recent feedback has been going for this story! ^_^ Not only have I gained a couple of new readers in the past month, but a couple of familiar names have returned as well! I still wish I could hear back from more of my old readers, lol, but it's good to know that my already small fanbase hasn't completely died yet. XD It's enough to keep me going and revive my zeal!_

_Also, another piece of exciting news… THIS STORY HAS OFFICIALLY HIT ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! That's right, this story's review count is now in the three-digit range! It was slow and steady, but thanks to all the feedback I've gotten in the past month or so I finally achieved that number! Many things to celebrate indeed this update._

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 29**

_Persistence of Enigma_

Once Yazoo had made his terrific leap back up to the roof of the building, he walked over to where Loz was waiting with the unknown girl, whom was as unconscious as ever. In the short space of time Yazoo had been speaking with the orange-haired girl, it seemed that Loz had already grown bored and impatient. He had laid the girl partly on the ground, though had one arm supporting her around the shoulders, his free hand curiously examining the gold necklace she had around her neck, especially the charm that was shaped in the likeness of a chocobo.

"She's on her way now," Yazoo informed Loz, who snapped his head around instantly, his eyes brightening at the mention of the orange-haired girl. Before he could reply, though, Yazoo continued, "And leave that girl alone, will you? We still have no idea what to do with her."

"Yeah, but…" Though he let go of the charm, Loz kept gazing at it, captivated, never having seen anything like it before. "This thing she's got around her neck… It's so… so…"

As much as Loz was struggling to find the right word to describe what he thought of the girl's jewelry, however, there wasn't much point to it since Yazoo wasn't bothering to stick around for his reply. Instead, having observed that the orange-haired girl was going to take the long way up and ascend using the fire escape stairs, he had gone over to the top of the stairs to wait for her—whether or not it was just to ensure she was really on her way up, he really wasn't sure of the exact reason.

But, what he did find himself doing as she made her arduous journey upwards was watching her closely, at least what he could see of her through the metal grating that the fire escape was comprised of. It was not so very different from the time he had been scrutinizing her as she had been repairing his uniform in her apartment, attempting to figure out exactly what he might have overlooked about her. Of course, what was different about this time was that he well knew what he had overlooked, yet that had still left his curiosity less than satisfied, particularly now that Mother had given him a new purpose for being with the siblings.

Still… as much as he wanted to know how their powers could be useful to Mother, it barely made up even half the reasons for why the girl intrigued him so immensely. Although he had been hoping that Mother would answer at least _some_ of the questions that had been swarming about in his head, if anything, all that she had revealed to them today had only doubled those inquiries.

_Just who __**are**__ these siblings?_ _What_ were they? Especially now that Mother had said that the Planet hadn't been the ones to create them, then what—or who, even—had? For what reason had they been created? _How_ had they been created? And then… what was to become of them? If they had a purpose, what would happen to them once that purpose was fulfilled? And, ultimately, in the end, just how would their materia affect them? Mother herself had seemed to imply that nothing good could come out of such a precarious, unnatural relationship.

_But, if it is my place to find out, then I __**will**__._

Rarely did he ever go by gut instinct, but Yazoo was slowly getting the feeling that he and Loz—and now possibly even Kadaj—were to be the ones to get to the bottom of this enigma. Unbeknownst to him, though, his personal reasons for staying with them were not unlike Kallie's: even if he had been given the option to leave them forever, he simply would not be able to, for he had become much too curious about them. Exactly what he would do with the answers once he found them, though, remained to be seen…

By this time, the girl had emerged onto the final level of the stairwell, and being able to see her face much more clearly from this vantage point, he could perceive that she also seemed lost in thought. He might have chastised her for taking the long way up and making them wait even longer to be on their way, yet wasn't quite able to—it was yet another thing that he had always done before, and now found himself unable to do. Stranger still, Yazoo realized he was doing it because he realized she must be tired and simply didn't have the energy to pull off a feat like he had done. That, and despite his eagerness to rejoin with the others to learn all that had happened, it wasn't so vital that they had to be in any real hurry.

Thus, he continued to wait patiently, without a word, as she completed her ascension to the top of the building. When she had reached the final level, she had flinched at the sight of him, obviously again startled to see him there, though of course nowhere near as taken off guard as when he had first 'snuck up' on her. In fact, she had certainly recovered her poise by now, so much so that once the brief shock of seeing him there had gone, a new kind of expression came over her visage. It was one of suspicion, one that told him she must have already spied the changes in him, how differently he was treating her, yet it was the kind of reaction that actually made her seem rather wary of him. Would she soon discover his and Loz's true motives for wanting to remain with them? What would become of their alliance then?

But, at the moment, it was still too soon to be looking so far into the future. It was much better to attend to the current matters at hand, such as their other unprecedented issue that had arisen…

"By the way," he said to her, once she had come within only a few steps of where he stood. "Something else rather unexpected came up while we were searching for you, one that we would like your input on."

"Yeah?"

"You see, we came across this… girl whom fell unconscious just as we encountered her. Loz wouldn't let us leave without her, so we've brought her along, and we would like your opinion as to what to do with her. The strangest part, however, is that we met her atop of a building, and have no idea as to how she would have gotten there."

"That is pretty weird… She still unconscious?" When Yazoo nodded, she continued, "All righty, maybe I can just check her in at a hospital or someplace like that. I'll take a look at her before we go anywhere."

Yet, it was only as Yazoo was leading her over to the mysterious girl, as he wondered what his orange-headed ally would think of her, that the pieces suddenly fell into place in his head, and the sudden, strange realization hit him. It was the kind of realization that was so abrupt and so absurd it couldn't possibly be true, but deep down in his subconscious mind, he had placed two and two together, and knew that it was the only possibility.

Somehow, the exact same revelation had struck Kallie as well, only a moment afterwards, and only moments before she saw the unknown female being supported in Loz's arms. Only seconds after she had come to that same realization was it confirmed for both her and Yazoo, but for Kallie, the impact was far more immense. It was so great that she stopped dead in her tracks, staring incredulously at the girl; Kallie stared at her for several long, prolonged seconds, unable to comprehend what she was seeing, then began furiously rubbing her eyes, as if trying to knead the reality of that girl's presence from her vision.

"No, no, _hell no…_" she kept muttering wearily, no longer able to draw the energy to cope with all the unforeseen happenings of today. "What the hell… This—no, this _can't_ be… This just _doesn't_… no…"

Both Yazoo and Loz could only look on wordlessly, the former disbelievingly wondering if the girl had come to the same conclusion as he had, while the latter had no idea why Kallie was gaping so incredulously at the unconscious girl. Initially, he had appeared rather elated upon seeing the orange-haired girl, yet soon looked quite crestfallen when she didn't acknowledge him one bit even though he was right next to her—all she had eyes for was the girl.

"N-no, no…" she said under her breath again, and then had to make sure she wasn't having some freakish, nightmarish dream. Breaking into a hurried walk, she hastened with rapid steps over to the girl, stopping at her side where she could get a good look at her face.

Once she did, that was the real confirmation Kallie knew exactly who this girl was: she freaked out, her hands flying up to cover her mouth to stifle a gasp. Soon enough, those hands completely covered her face in her disbelief, actually backing away a step or two, again shaking her head.

"Do you… _know_ this girl?" Yazoo finally asked, when it seemed that she had managed to recover her composure enough again to speak, though she still stared unbelievingly at the girl, still unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

"_Yes!_" she nearly shrieked in response; Kallie had instantly gone from mere shock to a complete dumbfounded outburst. "What the _hell_ is she doing with you guys? How the_ hell_ did she even…? Oh, what the hell is going on here? _Meryl!_"

With one last exasperated flail of her fists, she was right back at Meryl's side, dropping down beside her again and actually taking her into her own arms, the look of utter alarm not once leaving her face.

"_Meryl!"_ she cried again. "Meryl, what happened to you? Please, oh please, be all right, _please!_"

Still neither Loz nor Yazoo had said anything during Kallie's moment of panic, still only able to look on in their disbelief, yet even so, Yazoo knew that something wasn't right here. There was no question that, at the very least, this was one giant coincidence, but after all that had happened to him that had seemingly involved coincidences and chance occurrences, he knew it had to be something more to it. With that realization in mind, he could not help but reflect again on that moment, when some unfathomable force had stopped him and Loz right in their tracks, and they had turned around to find that girl standing there, seconds before she had lost consciousness.

As difficult as the idea was to swallow, he could only come to the startling conclusion that that girl had truly been the one to cause that temporary paralysis—even the brief manipulation of their movements. That, or she was important enough that Mother had wanted them to notice her with whatever remaining power she had left… But then, the most baffling question remained: what on _earth_ had she been doing atop a roof in Junon in the first place? How would she have been able to get there?

Whether he had a feasible explanation or not yet, he was going to have to tell his story anyway to the orange-haired girl. The whole while, she had been evaluating Meryl's vital signs, checking her pulse and placing a hand to her forehead to feel her temperature. Upon having realized that her friend was merely unconscious, though, it seemed she had calmed down considerably, no longer in such a panic as she looked Meryl over. It wasn't long, however, before a new fire ignited inside of her, and she furiously turned to the silver-haired brothers.

"All right, out with it, you two! What the hell's going on here? How the _hell_ did you find Meryl? Tell me again how the hell she ended up with you!"

"I told you, we merely came across her moments before she lost consciousness."

It was then that Yazoo again told her what had happened, though in much greater detail. The only thing he really had omitted was the simple, pressing fact that they had been manipulated by an unknown force just before they had first seen Meryl, for something told him almost intuitively that it wouldn't be a wise thing to reveal—it was no different than the uncertainty he had faced whenever it seemed he would have to tell the girl something rather confidential about Mother. And somehow, he was getting that idea from somewhere other than his own mind.

_Does Mother consider __**her**__ important too, then?_ She hadn't quite mentioned that anybody else related to the Bradfords in some way, shape, or form would be vital to their quest too, though… Sooner or later, he supposed, if she really was important to Mother, that would come to reveal itself in due time…

"…Holy shit," she finally murmured, after having kneeled there for the past minute or so. She still hadn't let go of Meryl, and by this time, Loz had stood up, backing away slightly in response to her immense protectiveness over her friend. Examining her vital signs one more time, Kallie at last exhaled a sigh of deep resignation. Enough had been enough for her for one day.

"…Sorry, guys." Her ultimate exhaustion couldn't be more plaintive now in her voice, rubbing her eyes with the back of her free hand. "It's just been so… overwhelming today. So much has happened, I just can't comprehend it all… and then, _this_ had to happen. Damn it, I really need a break."

"But not until you bring us back to your siblings. Then you may have your respite."

"Still trying to be the boss of me, huh?" She sounded only partially spiteful, however. "Yeah, don't worry, I get it. I was thinking of bringing you straight back to Aurei and Raide, and then I'll take Meryl back to her place, whether or not she wakes up by that time. But…" She finally looked up at Loz. "I don't think I've got the energy to carry her myself now. Loz, you carried her this far and didn't do anything to her, so I can trust you to carry her again, right?"

"Yeah," he replied simply, though avidly.

Without further instruction, he came back over and effortlessly scooped up Meryl in his arms again. Weirdly enough—and somewhat creepily too—Kallie could tell just by the way he was looking at her that he was already starting to show those increasingly familiar signs of attachment to her friend. More and more, strange though it was for her to come to that conclusion, Loz was starting to seem like a child who had a big heart for the people he came into contact with (who weren't outright enemies, anyways), especially if he had to protect or care for them in some way.

Given Meryl's attractive looks anyway, with her dainty, doll-like features that gave off an impression of gentleness even when she was unconscious, she really couldn't blame Loz—or anyone, for that matter—for feeling some kind of attraction to her. It also made Kallie wonder if he could sense that she had a kind, motherly personality in addition to all of that, the type of personality that would probably click best for Loz's childlike mindset. Even so, however, she wasn't about to get her hopes up for any kind of bond forming between the two.

_Not that it would as bizarre as all hell, but there's no way in hell that I'm gonna get Meryl mixed up in all of this._

Meryl's health was certainly a primary reason: it would do her no good at all to be running around with them as much as she was, let alone be involved with their misdoings. Kallie did think that it would be nice for Loz to meet someone of Meryl's nature, certainly someone who didn't push him around as much as his brother did, but Kallie simply wanted Meryl's involvement in this to be as minimal as possible. They probably weren't even going to have the opportunity to interact that much, given they were only going to be in Junon for another day at the most, so why the hell was Kallie even considering the possibility?

_Well, it __**is**__ kinda worrying just how she ended up on a rooftop right where Loz and Yazoo were before…_

The simple fact of just how Kallie had been able to reunite with her best friend, right here, right now, still deeply confused and disturbed her. She had seen and experienced enough by now to know not to believe in coincidences and mere chances, and thus could not bring herself to believe that it was mere coincidence or chance that had brought Meryl here.

At the same time, she didn't want that one suspicion to actually be the truth; she didn't want yet someone else close to her that was getting dragged into this mess when there was absolutely no good reason for them to be. If that was the case, then Kallie was going to deliver punishment on whoever was responsible, and hopefully it would be the same person who had ordered May kidnapped.

"Are you ready to take us to your siblings?" came Yazoo's voice, as she had been checking up on Meryl's condition one last time.

As much as she had been able to sense Loz's growing attachment to Meryl, she could tell that Yazoo had the same questions on his mind as she did about her friend's unlikely involvement in this. If he ever did ask, she could thankfully tell him there was absolutely nothing that had happened in her past which would be a good enough reason for her being involved at all. There really wasn't, which was enough to assuage her for the time being… almost.

"Yep… just follow me."

**

* * *

**

"H-holy… Holy crap…" Ever since Yuffie had heard the news over fifteen minutes ago, she had not stopped pacing beside the pool, her hands tightly winding through her hair as she kept muttering the same things over and over again. "Holy crap, he's coming back… he's _really_ coming back this time…"

"Yuffie, relax. That's what Aerith said he's trying to do, but she and Zack are pulling out all the stops to make sure it _won't_ happen."

Though no one had said that to her now, they had been saying that to her several times over in the beginning, in some way or another, though she had remained adamant enough in her panic that they had given up on trying to assuage her otherwise. Although, Tifa was getting to that point where she was quite tempted to simply grabbed Yuffie by the shoulder and force her to sit down so she could get a hold of herself again, and that was saying something, since she rarely ever forced other people to do things against their will unless it was truly necessary.

Looking over at Vincent, she could just tell that he wanted to do the same, and was getting quite close to that point. If Cloud weren't preoccupied, that would make three who were willing to use force to make Yuffie calm down and shut up, and Tifa was sure he would be more than ready to join in if he wasn't preoccupied with telling Cid everything he had just told Vincent and Yuffie. Of course, he was probably wanting to do the same with Cid, since Cid was reacting in pretty much the same way—just a lot less panicked and much more furious. Cloud hadn't even put his phone on speaker, and they could still clearly hear his enraged swearing from the other end; poor Cloud had to hold his phone at half an arm's length from his ear, just to prevent the risk of blowing out his eardrums.

"_Goddamnit! _That son of a bitch just never learns how to stay dead, does he! I swear, we're gonna give him such an asskickin' this time we'll kill even his _afterlife!_ An' that damn Jenova's gonna get a clobberin' too, since _it's_ still around… An' yet, Aerith's askin' us _not_ to give 'em the hurtin' they deserve…! Damn, what's a man to do…"

"Yeah, it's too bad that we can't really take much action yet," Cloud responded, once he felt that there was enough of a break in Cid's ranting (during which he had most likely taken a drag from his cigarette in distress). "But, at least we know what we're most likely dealing with now, right? Besides, this also means we don't have to be standing around idle anymore."

"Better not be lyin' 'bout that, Spikey! We've been freezin' our asses off up here at the Northern Crater, 'cuz I can't always be wastin' fuel on keepin' the airship warm! Any opportunity we can do to get outta this freezer we'll take—we don't have to be waitin' around up here anymore, do we?"

"No, you don't," Cloud confirmed for him, and he thought he heard a few distant cheers in the background. As Cid had linked his cellular to a special intercom system of sorts aboard the airship, pretty much everyone on board had been able to listen to Cloud's account of what Aerith had told him so Cid wouldn't have to retell it to everyone later. "Since it seems that they've been going towards Junon all this time, it'll be wiser for us to concentrate our searching in that area. Incredibly enough, we've been wrong all along about them heading for the Northern Crater; it seems like they haven't even considered going back there."

_Of course, for all we know, that could be the very place where Kadaj is going to be resurrected…_ That was where he had been first 'born', after all. But, because Aerith was now the one who would bring him back to this world, would that mean he was going to be reborn elsewhere?

"Damn right 'bout that! They've just been throwin' us a curve ball left and right. That'd better be the last of it, I swear!"

Sadly, though, Cloud well knew it wasn't. There was just no telling how many surprises they couldn't possibly predict still lay in wait for them, though he wasn't about to rain on Cid's parade by informing him of that possibility.

"Anyway, ya want us to rendezvous right this second? I'm more than willin' to fly this bird outta here and pick y'all up there at the Forgotten City, and then to wherever y'think those remnants and their lady friends are hidin' out. Anythin' to finally nab those crooks!"

"The sooner, the better, I say."

"Right on it, son! We'll get there before ya can even say wild chocobo! It'll only take us an hour to get there, tops!"

Cloud smiled. "See you then, Cid."

With a last exuberant farewell, Cid hung up, and Cloud finally pressed the button to end the call, albeit all too gladly. He actually had to rub his ear a bit, just to get the ringing out of his eardrum from Cid's outrage, and then massaged his temple, his mind whirling from all that he had been forced to process today, from having to tell his story twice and thinking through all of that information again.

It truly was staggering just how much Aerith had revealed to him and Tifa this evening, and once the full scale of it all had struck him, it made him more mentally exhausted than he had felt in a while. While he was willing to wait until Cid got here so they could all discuss together what their next move was, the idea of getting some rest tonight and starting fresh tomorrow was more than appealing to him.

"Cid certainly took that well, huh?" Tifa chuckled, standing up from where she had been seated on the ground, at last grabbing a hold of Yuffie to stop her excessive pacing. "He always puts on a big show, but in the end he takes care of business without complaint… unlike some people here."

"_Tifa…_" Yuffie whined at her, somewhat indignantly, though Tifa silenced any further protest with a stern, yet gentle look.

"It's certainly difficult to imagine just what we'd do without him," concurred Vincent, who had been leaning up against a nearby tree with his arms crossed, barely moving from that position even now. "Good thing he's the one piloting our best mode of transportation."

"He's good for more than that!" Tifa butted in lightheartedly, though did admit that him piloting the airship was definitely his greatest asset to the team. "Anyway, all we have to do now is wait for him to arrive, huh?"

"Even more waiting around… I'm looking forward to it."

"The longer we've gotta wait, the better, I say!" Yuffie objected immediately. "On top of all of this, I gotta deal with being on that crummy airship again…? Count me out!"

"So, you're going to place your motion sickness above the possibility of another apocalypse?" Vincent asked her dryly, and she huffed, at a loss to defend herself.

"If it makes you feel any better, we're not actually going to be doing any flying tonight," Cloud at last chimed in, proceeding to inform them of his plans for the night. "I know everyone's raring to finally get some action in, but unfortunately, it's not as if we can take immediate action on this anyway."

"I'm fine with that," said Tifa. "I think that the morning will give us a fresh perspective on the situation anyway, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah."

"_I'm_ never gonna get any sleep, though…" groaned Yuffie. "I'll be tossing and turning all night, just _thinking_ about having to fly tomorrow…"

"Then don't think about it." Tifa then giggled. "Maybe if it gets real bad, we could just tranquilize you and you'll sleep just fine. In fact, we really should get in the habit of tranquilizing you more often."

"Hey, that's not funny!" Yuffie cried heatedly as Cloud and Tifa laughed, and Vincent even smiled a little in amusement.

"In the meantime, however…" It wasn't long, though, before he grew somber again, and was quick to return to the more pressing topic at hand. "Do you already have a plan of action in mind for tomorrow, Cloud?"

"I do, actually." He wasn't about to forget Aerith's suggestions for what he could do while she and Zack tried to figure out what to do about their adversaries. "I'm going to pay Rufus a visit, because he knows things about this situation that we don't. He and his Turks are the ones who have been in the thick of things, after all."

"You'd think that they'd _try_ asking for our help," muttered Yuffie darkly, folding her arms with a huff. "It's just like them, thinking they can handle everything themselves. They should remember that we're the _real_ heroes around here!"

"Maybe," Cloud responded distantly, having to wonder what a 'real hero' was. "To me, though, it sounds as if this mysterious 'boss' that was giving them orders didn't want them to get help from anyone else. She wanted only them to deal with the remnants."

"Sounds like she was sending them out on a suicide mission," Vincent remarked. "But, they do have far more guilt to deal with regarding the Planet, and therefore have more of an incentive to help this woman, especially with her promise to help them clean their slates. How could they possibly resist such an offer?"

"Rufus wouldn't, that's for sure. But, if I can get a hold of him tomorrow, that's the first thing I'm finding out from him."

_And he'd better be straightforward about it too…_ Cloud already had reason to be distrustful of the President, given that he had straight up lied about not only finding Jenova's remains in the Northern Cave, but actually concealing them on his person as well. Was that yet even more proof that he and the Turks had wanted to handle this situation by themselves? Well, he hoped it wouldn't be long before they found they had bitten off way more than they could chew again.

Tifa was the one to suddenly break him out of his thoughts, however, with an unexpected question.

"Are you going by yourself again, Cloud? If you just give us orders, we can handle everything ourselves until you've finished your business with Rufus."

Cloud, however, was going to surprise her right back with a smile. "Well, I suppose I could. It's not really necessary to bring anyone along, but… I wouldn't mind the company either. I can only bring one person with me, though, since only two can fit on Fenrir."

At how pointedly he was looking at Tifa, she raised her eyebrows in response, already registering the message, although Yuffie had overlooked Cloud's implications completely.

"Oh, take me! Take me! I'm so much better off on the ground than in the air, even if we're going a bajillion miles an hour on that thing!"

"Thing is, I can't take just anyone along," Cloud added quickly to save himself, earning him an expected indignant protest from Yuffie. As good of a companion as she was, Cloud would rather not have to deal with her by himself—besides, he could only imagine how the interrogation with Rufus would go if she were there too, butting in with her own input at every opportunity…

"Would you mind joining me, Tifa?" he asked much more directly now, staring right at her, which seemed to upset Yuffie even more, but Tifa's eyes lit up immediately at the confirmation.

"I can't see why not!" she accepted with alacrity. "I'll be more than happy to help you worm out the truth from Rufus, Cloud. He'd probably be surprised to see me there."

"Taking him by surprise would definitely be our best approach, so that would work out just fine."

Of course, that just barely scratched the surface of his reasons for wanting Tifa to come along with him to Healin tomorrow, and perhaps for reasons she might never guess at. Out of all his friends, it was her that he knew he needed to make the most amends to. For all that time that he had spent distancing himself from her, unable to face her when he had contracted Geostigma, Cloud now only wanted to make up for every second that he had spent away from her. Even if he couldn't express his feelings to her right now, and he still wasn't sure if he could do so any time soon, at least he can do what he can to convey how much she meant to him.

_I don't want to be apart from you anymore… Not if I can do something about it._

"Then it's settled," Tifa said, her pleasant voice breaking through his thoughts. "And now, we just have to wait for Cid, right?"

"Right. Just a little more waiting, that's it."

And soon enough, the time for waiting would be over. Now that they knew what they were up against, and knew what they could do, the time for action had finally come.

**

* * *

**

As much as Cloud believed that Rufus Shinra would have an idea of what was happening, however, currently, that wasn't so much the case anymore. In fact, as much as Cloud had been waiting for a sign from Aerith about their new situation, Rufus was hoping for another sign from that mysterious woman about what their next move should be. He knew that Reno and Rude, who had again gone out in search of that odd alliance, would especially like some hint as to where their targets' location could be now. In fact, it was indeed quite puzzling—and worrying—to Rufus that, when this 'boss' had been so adamant about them pursuing the remnants and the sisters, there hadn't been a word from her since.

_More than likely another indication that we're being used… Fantastic._

Whether or not he and his Turks had become tools, though, Rufus felt he couldn't really complain. For the past two years, he felt he couldn't really complain about anything; there was no sense in complaining about his current position, because he felt that he deserved whatever came his way, good or bad. If the Planet was to use them as tools now, then so be it, but at least they would have been of _some_ kind of use, right?

Tseng might be one to disagree with him, however. Though his stoic attitude seemed to minimize it, the leader of the Turks nonetheless appeared to have been growing increasingly anxious over the past day or so regarding the lack of leads. It had gotten to the point where Tseng couldn't seem to do anything else but wait silently for some kind of sign; for example, when Rufus had last seen him a half hour ago he had still been sitting at the kitchen table downstairs with Elena, staring out the window at the persistent rain outside.

"I think you really should have gone with Reno and Rude this morning," Rufus had suggested to him then, as they had just finished lunch. "At least you won't be sitting around idle then."

"And as I told you before, my place is here with you and Elena," Tseng obstinately insisted. "Even if I am 'idle' here, at least by being here I am reassured that you both aren't so vulnerable."

Tseng hadn't been saying that in a negative way, of course; he had meant that out of a genuine concern for their well-being. After all, Elena had her broken arm, and Rufus was still crippled from the Diamond WEAPON attack, so they were both in their own rights very unprotected from any unanticipated assailants. Even though Rufus had been quite confident in being able to handle an especially unstable, psychotic silver-haired youth by himself, he nevertheless felt assured with Tseng's presence here. At least there was one able-bodied individual among them, in case of an emergency.

_Yet, the only threats to me should be miles and miles away from here, correct?_ The last they had heard, their worst adversaries were heading in a completely opposite direction; they had even gone past Healin and hadn't paid a visit.

Although, Rufus knew what Tseng was truly paranoid about, for he too well knew that what they assumed was their greatest threat had no intentions of targeting he, President Shinra, the man they had sought so thoroughly for before. No, Tseng was probably much more worried about another certain individual—the one who had claimed to be their ally, but could have ulterior motives in mind…

With the silence the 'boss' had been leaving them with, Rufus could not blame Tseng for distrusting her as much as he did now, for he probably had the very same lack of trust as well, and Elena most likely did, too. Sure, she had been a questionable character from the beginning, but after she had proved herself as an ally in the Mythril Mines, they shouldn't have been left with any further doubt about her intentions, right? Yet, the simple fact that they had no definitive, clear reasons for _why_ she was helping them, _why_ she had approached them about this in the first place.

_But again, who are we to question it?_ If this was truly the Planet's will, as it seemed more and more apparent, then so be it.

Due to the gentle pattering of the rain outside, and the dull tedium of the thoughts in his head, Rufus was quite grateful when he had been saved from nearly falling asleep on the couch as Elena walked in. From the equally drained look on her face, she must have been unsuccessful in bringing Tseng out of his sullen mood; whenever Tseng got like this, Rufus could tell that it took its toll on Elena.

"Don't worry, Elena, you know that he'll snap out of it soon enough," Rufus reassured her, as he knew all too well what was on her mind. "He never liked being idle, never, let alone stumped on where to next look for clues. Even then, he was always searching for some way to help advance his objectives, and it probably frustrates him that he can't do much here."

"I know all too well," she replied simply, rubbing the side of her face with her good hand. After a short bit of staring absentmindedly out the window, she added, "It doesn't help that we contacted Reno and Rude not long ago. They've been flying around the Junon Plains and Fort Condor area all day and haven't seen a thing, so they're going to tackle the fort itself next. Well, they plan to, anyway, even though _we_ don't have W.R.O. clearance for such a top security area."

"Even if I am a major source of financial aid, I'm afraid that still doesn't mean we get all the dibs in W.R.O.," chuckled Rufus. "If such an occasion arises, however, I'm sure I can speak to Tuesti about it."

"Hopefully, because that just might be our only lead…" Elena's voice, though, trailed off slightly when a thought occurred to her. "Say, what about W.R.O.'s involvement? We haven't heard anything at all about them starting a hunt for the remnants, but they would've been on it right away if they heard one of them was still alive, right?"

"You would think so. It's possible that they don't want it getting out to the public, at least not until they've found something."

"And… what about AVALANCHE? I know that the incident in Midgar was what finally reunited them all after two years, and they'd definitely go out to hunt for the remnants once they heard, right? Not to mention, if Cloud got involved, and he's really…"

Her voice truly trailed off then, and Tseng could not help but feel sorry for her. After all, she had heard the news firsthand that Cloud might be dead, as the remnant had claimed.

"Actually, it is possible that AVALANCHE has indeed begun searching for them… At least, Tifa Lockhart has."

Elena's head, having been lowered in mourning, suddenly shot up again. "Really? How do you know _that_?"

"Tseng's the one who found out. You mean he didn't tell you?" When Elena shook her head, he explained, "It was this morning, actually, before Rude and Reno left, that Tseng decided to give Strife Delivery Service a call, since that is the only contact info we have for any of the members of AVALANCHE, just to see if the remnant's claim was true or not about Cloud. What he heard when they finally responded is interesting indeed, for all he got was an automated message, which Tifa herself had recorded. She said that, due to dire circumstances, the delivery service will have to be put on hold; she apologized for any inconvenience this has caused, but hopes that this crisis will be resolved as soon as possible."

Upon hearing that, Elena's eyes widened. "So, they really _are_ out looking, aren't they? Well, too bad they must've been looking in the wrong places, because we obviously haven't run into anything related to AVALANCHE at all."

"Unfortunate indeed… We could have used their help, I suppose."

"'I _suppose?_'" Elena repeated, rather vehemently. "We could use all the help we can get! If they hadn't showed up in Edge last week, we would've been toast! And the remnants might not have gotten away in the Mythril Mines, either…"

Rufus was well, _well_ aware of that; had AVALANCHE not shown up, Edge might have been completely reduced to rubble before his eyes thanks to Bahamut SIN. A part of him wanted to contact W.R.O. or AVALANCHE for help even now, and he certainly would have done so once all of this had started.

And yet, he had refrained. Some part of his mind had held him back, and though he had some idea as to what it was, he could not pinpoint it exactly. Elena just might be able to guess it, however—at least, the answer he preferred.

"What, Rufus? Why can't we? Is it…?" Her voice suddenly softened, though her expression hardened. "Is it… because of that woman? Does she not _want_ us to get outside help or something? She didn't really say anything like that in the video."

"No, she did not," Rufus admitted. "And yet… it's hard to explain, but that was the message I got from her as I was listening to her. She truly wants this to be our doing, and our doing alone… Perhaps she believed that the serpents would be good enough of an ally for us."

"But…" Elena was far from satisfied with that explanation. "Isn't that alone kinda unsettling…? I mean, she might not want W.R.O. involvement because she doesn't want them messing up her real motives, and that can't be anything good! Right…?"

"Yes, you have a point… Tseng and I have agreed that this could certainly mean she is attempting to exploit us and us alone for her own benefits. But, you have my word, Elena: if it turns out that she is indeed planning to manipulate us, we will do everything in our power to fight back."

"Do you… think we can?"

Rufus had to smile reassuringly, even chuckle slightly. "Given what we're up against? Probably not, but we will certainly give her one hell of a fight. The last shreds of Shinra won't be going down so easily, correct?"

"You got it, sir!"

Even as he continued to converse with Elena, however, shifting away from the topic of the woman that they had so little information on, it wasn't long before Rufus came to realize the true reason why he was so reluctant to call upon W.R.O. for aid, and he was glad that he hadn't revealed it to Elena when she had asked. It had felt like forever since he had felt it, but now he recognized it as a familiar arrogance that had held sway over him for so much of his life, even when he had been only a small boy, already filled with the thoughts of taking on the family business.

That arrogance had since diminished in the past two years, humbled by the Diamond WEAPON attack, the fall of Shinra Company, and his affliction with Geostigma, yet he had well known it couldn't have possibly left him forever. He should have seen the signs when he had insisted that the Turks recover whatever might be left of Jenova in the Northern Crater, in order to determine what was really causing Geostigma—even now, he could not decide if that had been a wise or foolish decision on his behalf.

Except, he couldn't say it had really been done for selfish reasons alone: it would be to benefit the planet itself. Though Rufus couldn't say for certain yet he had seen the error of his ways, he knew he owed a debt to the Planet for all that he had done—that mysterious messenger boy had been absolutely right, however the hell he had known his exact feelings about it. Maybe he simply didn't want to be sent to whatever was the equivalent of hell in the Lifestream, but he felt it was his duty now to make those reparations—and it was something only he and the Turks could do. The boy's visit and the woman's message simply seemed to be the proof that that was so…

_No matter what is to become of us… If we can recompense for even a small portion of what we have done, then that will be enough._

**

* * *

**

_Meryl… I can't believe you've wound up in this mess too._ Well, she almost had, anyway.

As she led the way back to where Aurei waited with Raide, Kallie could not stop glancing over at her best friend, who was currently being carried in Loz's firm grip. It was almost as if every time she did, maybe she would find that she had simply been hallucinating all along and it would be someone else entirely different, or even no one at all. Reality simply hadn't settled in yet that those two men had come across Meryl, let alone atop a rooftop when she shouldn't have any reason to be there in the first place.

_What the __**hell**__ were you doing up there…? Why…?_

That was as far as Kallie's brain was getting, though, at the moment. After every shocking, incredible, unbelievable thing that had occurred today, it seemed that her mind was simply ready to shut down, unable to process anything else for the time being. She was completely willing to leave it at that; she wasn't even going to try figuring anything else out now, and she just might have a complete meltdown if she did. For the time being, she just might as well wait until Meryl woke up, and then maybe those questions would be solved for her, without her even trying to think of the answers—it would be best just to focus on getting back to the others right now.

Thankfully, if Kallie's judgment of their location was correct, that was going to be pretty soon, and it had better be. If her curiosity wasn't killing her enough at the moment, then her aching body was. As developed as her body had become, even physically, it still wasn't enough that she could not yet feel the toll the entire journey had taken on her so far. The burning sensation in just about every muscle of her body from all the battling, running, and leaping had struck her twofold, and it took every fiber of her being not to let her exhaustion claim her just yet.

It was enough that she had even been tempted several times to let her body quit, so that she might even have an excuse for Yazoo to carry her the rest of the way, as Loz certainly had his hands full at the moment. But, of course, that notion was quickly dropped. Not only would Yazoo be absolutely repulsed at having to have such close contact, she had vowed never to give into her fatigue in his presence, to never show signs of weakness around him as long as they had to be together.

_So now, it's just a matter of the sooner we get there, the better._

Not to mention simply the sooner they got there, the sooner they could be over with settling things with Raide and figuring out Meryl's situation. Then, at last, she could have that respite, and honestly, she didn't give a damn about where she got it, whether it was on a comfy bed somewhere or even on a rooftop. All she wanted was a break from fighting, a break from thinking, a break from worrying, a break from simply moving… hell, a break from everything would be absolutely wonderful.

_And then, we can start our journey anew._

Thankfully, those wishes seemed to be just on the horizon now, for Kallie could now fully recognize the streets around her, and then, not long after that, she spotted the very building where Aurei and Raide should still be waiting. That sight alone made her weariness easier to bear, and she even urged the two brothers onward, hastening the rest of the way.

To her utmost relief, her siblings were just where she had left them: Aurei obviously still hadn't removed the spell on their half-brother, for he was still seated in the exact same place against the wall. Her sister even still happened to be standing, evidently on the lookout for Kallie's return, and it didn't take long for her to perceive her sister returning with their missing companions. It was hard to determine exactly how Aurei felt at seeing the sight of the silver-haired men again, whether or not she was actually surprised that Kallie had actually managed to locate them.

But, if there was one thing Kallie was sure of, judging from Aurei's overall reaction at their reunion, she was certainly glad to see them again, no matter how she tried to hide it.

"Well, will you look at who returned." Her tone of voice was the first indication; though it appeared nonchalant, her elation was undeniable. "You disappeared so suddenly, I was sure you would never return."

It amused Kallie that Aurei had thought the same way she had about their brief parting. "But they _didn't_. I told you, Aurei, I told you! And look, I even came back with them before dark."

"Even you had a lack of faith in our return, huh?" Yazoo asked her, much more indifferently. Truly indifferently, actually…

"You don't have to rub it in my face that I was wrong and you were right, for once."

Even as Kallie was about to make a rebuttal, however, it was then that Aurei looked over at Loz, and they met eyes for the first time since their separation. Kallie could definitely tell then that, above all else in this reunion, Loz's return was the most significant to her; for one, her expression softened ever so slightly as she looked directly at him, the stoicism leaving her face ever so briefly. Their gazes were the only acknowledgement that they had of being reunited, though it seemed to be enough. Yet, that softness soon disappeared again the moment she laid eyes on Meryl, and her expression changed to one of definite surprise, then curiosity.

"But, it seems we have a guest… Who is she, Loz?"

As Loz struggled to make the proper response, already struggling with something to say back to her about being glad to see her again, Kallie quickly saved his neck—though she dreaded having to dive back into that story all over again.

"I… I think I can explain it better, Aurei."

While Kallie wished that she didn't have to be the storyteller here, she knew that there really no one who could explain it better than she could, although she did have Loz and Yazoo start off the unbelievable story first, as it had all started with them. It was only once Kallie had first been able to identify the unknown girl as her friend that she stepped in with the rest of the tale. Indeed, when she was finished, Aurei seemed quite unsure of how to react, although she did regard Meryl rather warily, innocent as she appeared to be, motionless in Loz's arms. Whatever suspicions she might have about Meryl, though, she kept them to herself.

"I see… This definitely makes for a surprising turn of events; regardless, it shouldn't have any impact on our own affairs here, as long as she doesn't become too involved." After examining Meryl's condition again, she then gestured at a nearby wall. "Why don't you put her down over here, Loz? That way, you don't have to keep holding her."

"I don't mind…"

Nonetheless, he followed her instruction, carefully setting her down in the spot Aurei had indicated. The whole while, Kallie remained at her side, kneeling down as Loz laid her on the ground; she had even removed her jacket, folding it up and placing it under Meryl's head as a cushion, so that she would at least have some form of comfort on such a hard surface. This wasn't the first time she had seen Meryl unconscious, so she wasn't at a complete loss as to how to help treat Meryl, although it was still hard to see her friend like this…

During that time as Kallie had been making sure Meryl was as comfortable as could be, however, she could feel Raide watching her, as he was seated directly across from them. What was certainly strange about her half-brother's presence right now was simply how silent he was, which she could certainly blame on Aurei's spell, though she could still sense how he felt about these new arrivals.

In particular, she had been wondering just how Raide would react to seeing the silver-haired men for the very first time, even if he already well knew that they had been traveling together. But, it was certainly unlike nothing she had already been expecting, as Raide had already revealed that he thought of them as freaks, and she could definitely sense that that was still exactly how he perceived them. Then again, Raide perceived everything in his life in a negative, disdainful, disrespectful way, so what was she thinking that he would see them in any other manner? Kallie knew that he could hardly give a damn about her friend here in spite of her disbelieving story, which was perfectly fine by her, though she shot a dangerous glower in his direction regardless.

"While we wait for her to regain consciousness…" Seemingly glad to finally be getting down to business as well, she now turned to the silver-haired brothers with that familiar, leader-like intent. "It's about time that we got you up to date on what's been happening. Though we've been apart for mere hours, much has still occurred during that time."

"I noticed."

As much as Raide had been intently eying the two brothers, Yazoo had been scrutinizing him quite closely as well, perhaps even more so than him. It was then Kallie recalled how intrigued he had been when Aurei had first informed them that not only was their half-brother May's kidnapper, the one person she had been seeking all this time, but he also happened to possess a strange materia that was also merged with his very being.

Now that Yazoo was seeing him for the very first time, she was wondering what he truly thought of him, if he had had any expectations of her unwanted sibling. He certainly knew that this was the boy who had been the one to instigate this journey in the first place; had he not kidnapped May, after all, Kallie would never have come to him, asking for his help. The question was, however, how he felt about the situation now: was he secretly cursing Raide for having created this mess, or grudgingly thanking him for having given him a couple of allies who had saved his sorry ass on many occasions? Judging by his only partially contemptuous stare before looking at Aurei again, probably a mixture of both.

"So then, what did happen during our absence? I've only been told that she," he gestured his head slightly at Kallie (who bristled at not being referred to by her name again, though only a little bit as she was far too concerned about Meryl at the moment), "had been defeated, and her cousin has apparently been taken someplace else. But, I sense that there is much more to this story."

"There most certainly is. Care to begin, Kallie?"

Kallie readily shook her head. "It's all yours, Aurei. Take it away."

"If you insist…"

But without further complaint, Aurei launched right into their account of what had happened once Loz and Yazoo had left them, and she indeed began from the very beginning. (Although, she only briefly explained their ability to sense each other's powers from afar, telling Yazoo that she could discuss it at length later when it seemed that he wished to inquire much further about it, as she wanted to get to the root of the story without delay.) It did come as somewhat of a surprise how much of the actual confrontation Aurei skimmed over, as well as how nonchalant she was in general, though it soon became apparent she was most intent on informing them of all that Raide had revealed during and after the battle.

In particular, what he had divulged about the possibility of May possessing special powers, the reason for why she had been kidnapped in the first place, and what Raide had told them later, that his boss herself had come here personally to take her away. Surprisingly enough, Loz, who had been listening without a word all this time, was the first to suggest that Raide's boss was still here in Junon somewhere, and they ought to go after her.

"I wish it was that easy…" Kallie spoke up, herself having been quiet most of the time, and glumly—grudgingly—explained why pursuit wasn't possible at the moment. Upon arriving at the fact that Raide had boasted just how powerful his boss was, it was then Yazoo inquired exactly why she was so powerful, and it was a question he posed directly to Raide himself.

For several moments, there was a palpable air of tension as the two locked eyes, their gazes just as intent as the other's—although Yazoo's was by far more intent on getting answers, while Raide's was simply contemptuous. At last, that smirk which had been missing up until this point finally returned.

"Don't bother askin' _me_," he sneered softly. "Just ask my dear sisters, they already know everythin' I'm willin' to tell ya."

"But I am asking you directly." That response obviously wasn't going to sit well with Yazoo.

"And your point is…?" When Yazoo's gaze became a dangerous glare, it only made Raide laugh. "Ya seriously think those freaky eyes are gonna be enough to intimidate _me?_ Beatin' the snot outta me to make me talk ain't gonna work either. I ain't that easy."

"He isn't lying, unfortunately." Aurei gave her half-brother an unexpectedly resentful glance, a small yet prominent animosity towards him that hadn't been present before Kallie had left on her search. "He is a hopelessly stubborn individual who will only tell us anything if he feels like it, and no amount of threats will convince him otherwise."

"And that's why we'll be bringing him along," Kallie piped up. "Not only are we gonna keep tabs on him that way, but we'll see what else he's gonna divulge on the way to Gongaga. That's why we really need your help more than ever, guys—the more people we have to keep him in line, the better."

"'Cuz you don't think you're competent enough to handle me by yourself."

The comment did cause her to bristle, though it wasn't enough that Kallie couldn't simply ignore him. She did have to admit, though, that Raide certainly had a knack for insulting others and getting under the skin of even those whose composure wasn't easily swayed. Judging by how Aurei was treating him with far more scorn than previously, she could tell that some kind of dispute had occurred between them during her absence, and one Kallie was willing to bet had involved their father—that was just about the only thing that could possibly anger Aurei in any way, shape, or form, and Raide would certainly know how to manipulate that to perfection.

As for Yazoo… Well, they had only known each other for only a few minutes, and already Raide had appeared to have gotten on his bad side. Yazoo certainly didn't like to be back-talked to, let alone talked down to in being told he wasn't intimidating enough. Even Loz, who appeared to be readily open to liking anyone who was supposed to be on his side, didn't seem to like Raide anymore because he had openly shown such disrespect.

_You're really a bastard in every sense of the word, huh, Raide?_ Maybe it would just be up to her to teach her little brother some manners.

In the meantime, Aurei, who had likewise chosen to ignore Raide, proceeded to inform Loz and Yazoo of what Raide himself had refused to reveal and explained that Raide had boasted that a special materia was the source of his boss's abilities. When she told them that it was called the White Materia, however, that did seem to stir something within the two brothers—the same look of recognition that had come over Aurei's face appeared in their expressions as well.

But, once Aurei inquired if they did indeed know what the White Materia was, how much knowledge they did have of it was quite unexpected indeed. Not only could Yazoo tell them it had summoned a power called Holy two years ago to stop Meteor's descent, he could present his own theories about its persisting magic.

"Holy… It is still active within the planet, is it not?" Though he was directly addressing Raide again, he did seem confident that he could get an answer out of him this time. "And it is the origin of the serpents your boss is able to summon, correct? It would certainly explain how the serpents are able to spawn endlessly, let alone the fact that they appear to be rooted to the core of the planet itself."

Raide looked just as complacent, yet this time did not deny Yazoo his answer this time. "Couldn't've put it better myself."

That was as far as he was willing to reveal, though at this point Yazoo seemed to have accepted this fact; he too seemed determined to teach Raide how to respect others, especially him. Exactly how they would get along with her half-brother was something she was interested in seeing as their journey towards Gongaga progressed; she was simply wondering how their journey would be changed in general now that Raide was tagging along…

"Are we done now?" Raide at last spoke up, when their discussion had come to a lull longer than the ones before it, which did seem to indicate that they were at the end of discussing the most important things. "I'm gettin' real tired of feelin' like a cripple here."

"If no one else has any more questions…" Aurei looked around at the other members of the group, who gave indications that they didn't. "Then yes, we are finished for the time being. But, I will free you of the spell _only_ if you give your word that you will cooperate from now on."

"…Fine," he said, after the two had exchanged hard looks at each other. "Ya got my word. Now get this damn thing off me."

Though Aurei obviously disliked his rude manner of consenting, she said nothing else, instead kneeling before Raide and beginning her strange hand gestures over his chest, different than the ones she had used before on him to seal his powers and hinder his movements, though the glyphs her fingers drew were as distantly familiar as before. Everyone else, even Raide, seemed to watch with fascination as Aurei performed the spell, and Kallie had a feeling Yazoo was bent on inquiring exactly what kind of unknown magic she was working now. It was a significantly shorter spell than before, however, and she was finished after only several seconds.

Once the strange glyphs glowed over his chest before dissipating, Raide immediately checked to see if he was no longer immobilized, and seemed quite pleased to see that he was indeed free to move again, though appeared expectedly very stiff as a result. The group did tense slightly once the spell had been removed, his two sisters especially on edge as they watched him warily, though all he did was stretch out various parts of his body with a relieved sigh.

Yet, just when they thought that they could trust Raide to his freedom, as they began to relax and turn their attention away from him, that peace was abruptly shattered. Before any of them could brace themselves, a blur had rushed past them; Kallie could feel the rush of air as he raced past her, and she alarmingly looked to where he was headed. She only saw his sheathed sword propped up against the building for a moment before it disappeared in the blink of an eye, reclaimed by its rightful owner.

Still before she could prepare herself, she saw that smirk briefly appear on Raide's face before he just as quickly dodged Aurei's ice spell, racing straight towards the weary Kallie and the vulnerable Meryl. Even as she tiredly reached for a chakram, knowing she wouldn't possibly be able to fend him off in time, there was then an azure blur and a clash of metal.

The next thing Kallie knew, Raide and Loz were standing before her, their weapons locked, sword against pile bunker, the burly silver-haired man having blocked the assault. From the glimpse of their faces before and after Loz forcibly pushed Raide away, the former actually looked quite furious, and Raide for once seemed greatly taken aback, undoubtedly not having expected Loz to be so fast or so strong.

"_Raide!_" Aurei snapped at him, also obviously quite furious at him. "What was that for? I ought to place that spell on you again just for that, breaking our agreement so easily!"

"I wasn't breakin' anythin'…!" While he was evidently attempting to put on an air of complacency once more, he nevertheless still appeared quite shaken as he sheathed his sword again. "I was just so happy to be free of that damn voodoo I couldn't resist messin' around a bit. I was just gonna make my sister here freak out a bit, she looks so down."

"This isn't the time or the place to be 'messing around'," Yazoo warned him coolly, taking his hand off the handle of his holstered gun. For a split second, it actually kind of touched Kallie that he had been willing to shoot her own half-brother in order to protect her, though she wondered if he would have done it out of genuine concern for her, or just because her dying would have been an 'inconvenience' to him.

"Whoa, easy there, dude. Ya really were thinkin' of shootin' me? Y'_know_ I'm pretty important to ya."

"I am all too aware of that. But that doesn't mean I can't… cripple you in some way, if you choose to rebel against us."

"Heh, don't worry 'bout that, I ain't thinkin' of any kinda rebellion." Seeming to believe that Yazoo's threats were hollow, Raide appeared to have quickly reclaimed his smugness. "But I doubt ya'd actually be able to hit me."

"Is that so?" responded Yazoo icily, easily taking that as a challenge, though Aurei had clearly had enough at this point.

"Quit it, right now!" she snapped at all of them, her hand over her forehead—not even Aurei was about to hide the fact that this was all giving her a headache. "I have had enough conflict for one day, and I am particularly tired of having to deal with your insolence, Raide."

"_All right_," he relented, though condescendingly, reattaching the sheath to the harness hanging from his belt. "I _guess_ I could call it a day. My boss didn't give me anythin' else to do anyway."

"There is seriously something wrong with you…" Kallie muttered under her breath, the only thought that had been going through her head this entire time, before she shook her head in despair. Could she seriously get a traveling companion on this journey who was at least _remotely_ normal? She even might be able to preserve her own normalcy that way, if that were the case.

But, even if her cries for normalcy on her journey could not be answered, at least her prayers for a speck of sanity today would be. Just as she putting her chakram away, begging to whatever entity that was out there that she wouldn't have to get them out anymore today, she started when a slight, soft groan sounded beside her. Looking down at her friend, her face lit up with an elation that had been absent for most of today.

Meryl was at last waking up.

**

* * *

**

_Meryl's waking up—ISN'T THAT EXCITING? Perhaps it is, because maybe then we can find out just how she's gotten involved in all of this. I'm quite eager to begin finally writing her character anyway. Even if it seems a bit late to be introducing a new character into the story, her character's a bit different than what I'm used to writing, so we'll see how that goes…_

_Also, I apologize if Loz seems to have a lack of dialogue lately… I dunno what it is, I just haven't been able think of anything for him to say! Maybe later someone like Aurei will approach him about it and then I can give my excuse through him… Behold my cleverness!_

_One more thing to mention before I forget and conclude the author's note is that the end is definitely in sight now! I mean, I know I said that before, but I mean that it's REALLY in sight now. I could probably wrap up this story by the end of this year, yay! I can start 2011 fresh with the sequel, though I am definitely giving myself a month or so break once I'm finished with __Embers__._

_That's all for now! REVIEW TIEM NOW PLZ._


	30. Strange Friend

_Well, reaching Chapter 20 was one milestone for me, but reaching Chapter 30…? Damn, I've been working on this a while. XD I kind of hoped that it wouldn't take me this many chapters, and I especially hoped that I would be done by this chapter, but as I reiterate for the billionth time, the end is definitely in sight! Although, I really can't guarantee that I will be done by the end of the year, I'm pretty damn determined not to let this exceed 35 chapters, lol._

_Can't think of much else to say for now, so let the reading commence!_

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 30**

_Strange Friend_

The fact that Meryl finally appeared to be coming to was the kind of interlude Kallie had been hoping for, a break from all this madness, and what she hoped would be the beginning of a much-needed respite for the rest of the day. Though she glanced over at everyone else to see if they noticed at all, most of her attention was diverted towards Meryl as she slowly stirred from her stupor. As she continued to watch her, she dearly wished she had water or something of the sort to help bring her friend around, as she usually did in the past whenever an episode like this occurred, though would have to contend with simply making sure she was as comfortable as possible.

At first, it was simply the fluttering of her eyes, the twitches in her facial features and her soft groans, then slight movements in her fingers. Next those groans became inaudible murmurs, the slight movements became full-fledged movements as she lifted a hand to her face, her head rolling over slightly before she gave one last sigh and at last opened those large, misty gray eyes.

"Meryl?" Kallie said at once, not so much as a question but as a statement to snag Meryl's attention, as well as determine her present lucidity. Usually it was never a problem, but there had been times when Meryl seemed to have no comprehension of time or place, or even her own self, upon regaining consciousness. Then again, even when she was fully conscious, she seemed to have a bit of an issue with that…

Thankfully, now did not appear to be one of those times, for once she perceived Kallie's face, recognition showed itself in those usually distant eyes and in her small, sweet smile.

"Hello there, Kallie."

Her voice was quite befitting of her nature, as well as her appearance in general: light and airy, not exactly a whisper but always in a very quiet register. Even when asked to speak up, Meryl was unable to, whether it was due to her physical fragility or she simply preferred speaking softly—both, more than likely. Despite her voice's softness, however, it nonetheless did catch everyone else's ears, probably due to the fact that such a different voice had been heard.

"_Meryl!_"

Though on second thought Kallie probably shouldn't have, and she knew better than to do so, her joy at being able to speak face-to-face with her best friend after so long was absolutely overwhelming. She could not help but throw her arms around her, actually lifting her off the ground in her enfold (though she did lessen the strength of her grip upon realizing it might be a bit much). Nonetheless, it was a relief to feel a light, gentle touch on her arm, one that Kallie hadn't felt in so long and which almost made her want to cry at that familiar delicacy.

"How are you feeling?" inquired Kallie with affectionate concern once they parted in their embrace. "Are you whoozy at all? Can you hear and see me properly?"

"Of course I can. I can hear and see you just as I always could, Kallie."

While Meryl was certainly, without a doubt, just as glad to see Kallie again after all this time as she was, it was something that only those who knew her as well as Kallie did could tell. That was perhaps the most prominent aspect of Meryl's personality, that no matter what the situation, she always remained in a pleasantly calm state of mind. Even when they had known each other in their childhood, never had Kallie seen Meryl upset, angry, or surprised even; there were a few exceptions, in the times when Kallie had suffered the losses in her family, yet even then she had always retained a certain gentle sweetness.

Come to think of it, perhaps that was why Kallie had always been such good friends with Meryl. There was more to it than simply that, of course, yet she had always liked being able to rely on that pleasant stability of Meryl's character, especially when it had contrasted to Mom's unexpected mood swings. That was just the beginning, though, of why Kallie felt the attachment that she did to Meryl, a relationship that she still didn't quite comprehend even to this day. But, like her own beloved cousin, May, when she had been much younger, she had made a similar vow to always be her protector, and she still strove to uphold that.

"I'm glad, Meryl." Still, Kallie again checked Meryl's pulse and her temperature, just to be sure. "But, tell me…"

And there, Kallie trailed off, knowing it was then she would have to approach Meryl about how she too had ended up in this mess. Kallie knew she probably didn't need to be hesitant at all, since she knew Meryl would give her a simple, neutral explanation about what had happened no matter what. Even now, Meryl wasn't acting at all surprised to see Kallie there, like it had only been yesterday since they had last seen each other and not two years (which, in all honesty, made the moment even more surreal). Just when Kallie had decided to continue with her question anyway, it was unexpectedly asked for her, and by a rather unexpected person as well:

"How'd you get there on the same building as me and Yazoo?"

Everyone else—save for Meryl—was just as surprised to hear Loz ask that, and they all turned their heads in his direction. He had since approached closer, looking down at her from a few paces away. Sitting up on her own then, she hardly blinked or flinched at all as she looked over at him, and what was definitely weird (to everyone else, anyway) was seeing how simply nonchalant she appeared to perceive him. It really was nothing less Kallie would have expected of Meryl, that she didn't find it strange at all that they had silver hair despite their obvious youth or their striking green eyes that had slitted, cat-like pupils. That was something else to like about Meryl: she simply didn't form judgment or prejudice towards others.

"What do you mean?" she asked, though in a rather kind way. "What building are you talking about? Junon is full of buildings."

While Kallie had never seen Loz or Yazoo affected by others' first impressions of them, or simply others' reactions in general to their presence, what did seem to perturb him somewhat was Meryl's kind attitude. He had probably never met anyone who had talked to him in such a gentle manner.

"I dunno what building…" Loz answered her, already seeming flustered. "It was just some building. Me and Yazoo were there, and you were suddenly there too. You kinda just came out of nowhere. You looked at us, and then you suddenly collapsed. We didn't know what to do with you, so I carried you around until we found Kallie."

"Did you? I thank you sincerely, then. I am glad that I wound up in such trustworthy hands."

_I don't know about 'trustworthy', Meryl…_ Well, Loz was at the very least was trustworthy; it seemed that whenever he did anything resembling an act of kindness, it was out of a genuine concern for the individual. What _did_ worry Kallie about Meryl, though, was that her caring personality made her a little _too_ trustful of others, and it did bring into question her overall intelligence…

"But, how _did_ you get there?" Kallie persisted, still wanting to get to the bottom of that specific mystery.

Meryl gave it a moment of thought. "I truly don't remember. I can't really recall anything about earlier today. It's as if I've just woken up, though it seems so late in the day right now."

This wasn't the first time this had happened, thankfully, that Meryl would have a bout of amnesia about events prior to her falling unconscious. Nevertheless, Kallie continued to eye her suspiciously.

"It's late afternoon right now, Meryl. I called your mom earlier, and she's frantic because you've apparently been missing all day."

"Have I?" Not even that seemed to perturb Meryl in the slightest. "I ought to be getting back home, then. I needn't make Mother worry about me anymore than she already does."

"Oh yeah, she was definitely worried. Sounded like she was going to have a panic attack. If you're really feeling okay, we can get going right now."

"Yes, I am okay. Would you like to come visit, Kallie, since you're here? I've wanted you to see our new home. It's quite nice."

"Yeah, you've told me a lot about it!" The abrupt invitation did catch Kallie a little off guard, but she wasn't about to decline it. "You know I've been dying to visit for a long time now. Of course, can't go straight away… I've got to finish up business with _these_ guys."

"That you do," Aurei spoke up at last. "It wouldn't be fair if you decided to bail out on us without consulting your companions first."

_Yeah, because two of our companions already did that, right?_ "Yeah, it wouldn't. So, what else do we need to discuss while we're all here?"

"Firstly, I believe introductions are in order, correct? I'm sure your friend Meryl is wondering who all of your strange friends are."

"Oh, yeah, right." _And strange family members on top of that._

Kallie had been hoping that she wouldn't have to broach that topic… Even if she well knew Meryl wasn't going to judge her at all for how she met these people, or why she had to team up with them, she had been dreading to tell her lengthy, complex story all over again.

"You're not strange people," Meryl reassured her. "But I would like to know who you all are. All of you seem so interesting."

'_Interesting' is hardly half of it…_ But Kallie went ahead and proceeded with the reluctant task of introducing them all anyway. She started with Loz first, since he had been the one to basically rescue her in the first place, and then Yazoo, adding that they were brothers. Aurei came next, and reluctantly introduced Raide last of all, but it was only with brief hesitation that she divulged the two of them were her siblings.

"Hard to believe, huh? All these years, and I never knew I had a sister _or_ a brother—a half brother, anyway. And on top of all that, I… even met my dad. I couldn't believe he was still around… but, that's just part of a really, _really_ long story. It's why I'm here right now, with all these people, in the first place."

"You must tell me. It must be quite an exciting story. Now, I should formally introduce myself."

"Whoa, wait a second," said Kallie quickly, when Meryl made an attempt to get to her feet, gently putting a hand on her shoulder to halt her progress. "You sure you can stand?"

"I am sure. I feel fine now, well enough to stand."

"All right, then. But easy does it, okay?"

Hence, with Kallie's careful assistance, Meryl at last fully stood. Though a bit unsteady at first, she did manage to straighten up to her full height (where she was a few inches taller than both Kallie and Aurei), and held herself up on her own strength. Delicately dusting off her dress and smoothing out the folds, she brushed her long wavy hair back from her face, readjusting the ribbon that held back the tresses before presenting herself with a light smile.

"It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Meryl Rainier, and I am studying to become a nurse for the World Regenesis Organization."

"Are you?" At the mention of W.R.O., Aurei did seem to grow a little wary of Meryl, but said nothing of it. "A… respectable ambition indeed."

The only people who didn't appear to have any interest in responding to Meryl's introduction were the two who were already the most likely to ignore her. In a state of apparent fidgety boredom, Raide had drawn his sword again, intently looking over the blade and occasionally rubbing at blemishes he seemed to see on the steel surface. Yazoo, of course, was simply standing exactly where he had been this entire time, expectedly impassive of Meryl—that was, unless one noted the searching gaze fixated upon her.

Kallie knew that look all too well: he was trying to figure her out, obviously wondering just exactly how she might have gotten onto that building, and if she might play a part in any of this. Like her, he was probably wondering now if there was something more to Meryl than what met the eye.

_Forget it, Yazoo. She doesn't have __**anything**__ to do with any of this. It was pure coincidence she was on that rooftop with you guys, that's all._

Call it denial, but right now, that was the stance Kallie was taking on the matter right now. There simply wasn't any evidence that otherwise indicated Meryl was a part of this mess too; it was purely circumstantial, after all. Meryl just didn't have any part in this, she simply didn't.

"Now then…" Now that pleasantries had been exchanged, Aurei was easily ready to move on and get all of this over with. "If that's all, I'd like to discuss our plan of action, especially because of how recent events have occurred."

"Meaning _him_, I suppose," Kallie grunted, glancing towards Raide, who was still making every plaintive attempt to ignore the others despite being obviously aware of what they were saying about him.

"What about me, eh?" he muttered indifferently, hardly looking up from the sword cleaning he was still engrossed in.

"Everything's been obviously screwed up because of you, Raide," Aurei pointed out sternly, at which Raide only grunted. "And probably more so than you think, too. I'll admit, Kallie, I was hoping that we would find May here, and thus you could proceed the rest of our journey without having to worry about her."

While Kallie did appreciate Aurei's concern, and she was probably right, it still wouldn't be that simple. _Even if she's somewhere safe, I'd still be worried as hell about her, hoping she's okay and she's not gonna get kidnapped again while our backs are turned._

"What kind of changes do you speak of?" Yazoo inquired. "I don't see why we can't simply pursue the kidnapper today, if we're so intent on rescuing the girl."

"Because, if you haven't noticed already, Yazoo, even with our 'enhancements' we still have nowhere near as much stamina as you or Loz." It made Kallie happy that she wasn't the only one who was displeased when Yazoo berated them for wanting respite, especially because of Aurei defending her position. "Besides, you're one to talk; you haven't been running all over the damn place like us, or engaged in combat, for that matter."

"Even so, that would hardly exhaust _us_," he retorted, though seemed to have lost interest in scolding them. Maybe it was only a little thing, but Kallie still did find that rather unusual for him. He really did seem different somehow, in a way she still couldn't pinpoint…

"But hey…" Kallie had just realized what her sister was getting at. "Are you actually suggesting that we find someplace to stay for the night—like, maybe an actual _bed_ to sleep in for once?"

Aurei gave her a strangely reassuring look. "That's exactly what I'm suggesting, Kallie. Do you really think I'd be that cruel, forcing the three of us humans to continue our pursuit right now? It's not as if we could anyway."

"Yeah, 'cuz there ain't anymore ferries leavin' today, right? Boss took the last one."

Of course, it was only now when Raide saw the opportunity to spite them that he decided to join the discussion. With one last fancy flourish of his sword, he slipped the blade back inside its sheath before resentfully meeting Aurei's hard gaze.

"You're quite right, Raide. Your boss certainly has impeccable timing, because she would be making her escape right now on that last ferry, and we'd have to wait until tomorrow to catch the next one."

"A ferry? Are you so sure about that? Where do you expect Loz or me to hide?"

"We'll find a way, Yazoo, I assure you of that. I'm sure that it won't be difficult for the both of you to sneak aboard and find a place to hide; we'll have our own room, for one thing, so that will make things easier."

"If you say so." But Yazoo relented there, most likely since he didn't want to give any indication that he or Loz would be incapable of infiltrating the ferry, especially when they had already done so before against the odds that had been stacked against them.

"Damn, ya've never been to Junon before, but ya sure know your way around here, eh?" It was always hard to tell if Raide was genuinely complimenting someone or just screwing with them, though he did seem at least somewhat impressed with Aurei's almost-omnipotence.

"Father and I have done our homework, I'll say that much."

"Oh, _Father_ helped ya out, did he?" Now Raide's malevolent intentions were as plain as day. "I bet he knows _everything_ about Junon, right? Includin' where all the—"

"Say one more insult about our father and you'll find yourself sleeping on the street instead tonight!"

The source of Aurei's unusual irritability had never been more apparent as she looked dead straight at her unruly half-brother, an almost absolute contempt in those normally calm gray-blue eyes. It was confirmation that something unpleasant had indeed occurred between the two half-siblings during Kallie's absence, and certainly a quarrel that had involved some nasty things about their father.

"I was about to say that I would be willing to put up with your insolence tonight and share a room somewhere, but I will refuse to tolerate your attitude towards our father if you dare say anything else about him!"

"Ya didn't even let me finish my sentence, sis! I might not've been insultin' him at all!"

"As if I can stand anymore of the impudence that leaves your mouth," she uttered irritably in a lower voice, then proceeded with a much more clear cut tone that she wasn't going to stand any more impertinent input from him. "_Anyway…_ If Raide decides to be a good boy, I'll let him stay with me for tonight. You're more than welcome to join us, Kallie, but if you would like to accept Meryl's invitation and stay at her place instead, you can."

"Really?" That was the best thing Aurei had told her in a while, though Kallie suddenly felt a bit sheepish as she turned to her friend. "Um, if that's okay with your family, that I can stay for the night… I don't want to impose or anything."

"Of course you can stay at our place tonight," Meryl consented, expectedly. "My parents would love to have you over; they have also wanted you to come visit. You can have our guestroom."

"Man, that would be the _best_ thing in the world right now." A bed, a _real_ bed. Even if it was just one damn night, and she might not even get to sleep in as much as she wanted to, it would still equal the best sleep she had gotten in days. Now, all she asked for was a restful sleep with no nightmares, and nothing to interrupt her in the middle of the night, that she would have to leave that comfy sanctuary…

_But damn, I hope I'll be presentable enough to Mr. and Mrs. Rainier…_ It wasn't just that they were considered upper class even in times like these; Kallie hadn't looked at herself in a mirror since she had left her apartment in Edge, and after everything she had been through, she knew she must be a sight despite her best efforts to maintain her hygiene throughout the journey. Well, there wouldn't be much opportunity to tidy up before she got there, so she was just going to have to hope for the best.

"If that's all settled…" Aurei had never seemed so impatient until now. "Then I would like to be on our way now. I'm tired and I would like to rest as soon as possible."

Kallie was just about to agree, until one more important thought suddenly struck her. She almost couldn't believe she was going to bring it up, and knew that she was better off not doing so, yet ended up saying it anyways:

"That's all cool, but…" She turned to the silver-haired brothers, though it was Yazoo's eyes she met. "What about you guys? Where are you guys going to be staying? Are you really okay with spending the night outdoors?"

_Why the hell am I even saying this? I really don't even care if they're gonna be staying outdoors or not, do I?_

Yazoo's response didn't help matters much either. "What do you take us for? We've been staying outdoors for the past several nights; you should well know by now that shelter is not necessary for our survival."

"Sheesh, I was just wondering if maybe you guys would like to crash someplace _indoors_ for once, seeing as this might be the only opportunity for a while, but whatever. Just forget about it.

"Anyway…" Gladly moving on from that topic, she turned back to Meryl. "First of all, you feel well enough to walk? I don't know how far your apartment is from here, and I don't want you passing out from fatigue again."

"I should be all right, Kallie. If I do feel tired, Loz can carry me the rest of the way."

Indeed, Loz started a little at that and seemed at a loss for words even as Meryl carried on like nothing out of the ordinary had been said.

"As for where we are, I should know once I get back onto the street, but it is most likely a long way from here."

"Then what're we waiting for? We don't have any time to waste!" Already, Kallie was looking for a way down to the ground, such as a fire escape or something similar, but had a feeling they'd probably have to go to another nearby building for that. "Oh, but maybe you should give your parents a call and let them know you're okay, and that I'm coming over. Just like old times, huh?"

"Yes." Meryl gave that small but sweet smile of hers. "Shall we, then?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

_It's really about time…_ At this point, Kallie really didn't care about anything else she might have to do. She didn't even really care about what might happen when she got to Meryl's home, whether her parents welcomed or questioned her presence there once she finally arrived. She didn't want to care about anything else at all right now—save for that much needed respite. A respite from all this insanity and, hopefully, at least for a little while, a return to that familiar normalcy.

_If I even know what's normal anymore._

**

* * *

**

Today had certainly been unlike anything Yazoo would have expected, if there had been anything he had been expecting of today. Even to him, when he thought back on all that had occurred from when he had awoken the orange-haired girl earlier that morning, at Fort Condor, and now escorting the girl and her friend home here in Junon, it was quite overwhelming. It was certainly a mental exhaustion more than anything else, though; he too wanted respite before the day ended, though as more of an opportunity to fully process all that happened. Then, at least, his focus could begin anew, just like his and Loz's objective had begun anew.

_In fact… it seems like our entire journey has begun anew._

As he and Loz had paused to watch the other half of the group's progress down in the street below, Yazoo again mulled over his new mindset that seemed to have taken over. Now that he thought about it, beforehand, he had progressed through the journey with an incredible amount of doubt, especially when evaluating the orange-haired girl's competence (or lack thereof). He had been in extreme doubt before about her usefulness, and even once Mother had reassured him when she had first spoken to him in Kalm, that uncertainty persisted. In observing the girl's progress, he had kept going back and forth, unsure if the evidence before his eyes could prove or discredit Mother's assurance.

The question was, was he still in that same position? After Mother had observed enough of the sisters to deem them useful and had told him again, was that enough for him to finally place his trust in them as worthy allies? Or was he simply going by her word now to believe in them? It was certainly a reminder of his desire for respite so he could think it over once he had some peace and quiet, though would thinking even be enough for him to make up his mind? What was this strange, unidentifiable feeling that kept plaguing him anyway?

_I thought that today would finally give me the clarity I've been seeking._ But, in truth, he thought that he just might be even more confused than ever. Mother had given him answers, yet there were still more questions to be unearthed.

_And Kadaj… He's being brought back to us._ That was something not even Yazoo was willing to wrap his head around, at least not for the time being.

Unfortunately, as Yazoo would soon see, that peace of mind wasn't about to come anytime soon.

As he and Loz had moved on to the next rooftop, in attempting to keep their eyes on the group below, they were just in time to see the group suddenly pause at a street corner, with the orange-haired girl evidently asking her friend which way to go. Her friend then simply pointed upwards at a building just across the street from them, indicating the obvious. The small group then lingered there for a short while, more than likely discussing their next move and where Aurei and Raide would be staying the night. The friend then pointed off down an adjacent street, possibly directing them to a nearby inn; a few more words were exchanged, and then they at last parted ways. The girl and her friend headed inside the apartment rise, while Aurei and Raide strode off in the direction the friend had indicated, the tension between the two visible even from here.

"Let's go, Loz," Yazoo commanded softly, when he saw that his brother was seemingly reluctant to proceed, obviously lingering for the sole purpose of watching the girl's mysterious friend even once she disappeared from their sight. "We need to see where the others will be making their establishment for the night."

"But…" It was almost exactly like earlier that day, when the girl had collapsed before them and Loz refused to leave her behind; he had known her for only a short while, and already, it seemed he had developed an attachment to her. "We'll come back here, right?"

"Why?"

Just like he had expected, Loz couldn't find an answer to that, at which Yazoo had to restrain an exasperated sigh.

"We'll see, Loz." He really wasn't in the mood to deal with it right now. "We can always come back later."

At last, Loz appeared to acquiesce, reluctantly turning away and again following after Yazoo as he, in turn, followed after the half-siblings down the street. Yet, even as he did so, absentmindedly surveying the layout of the buildings around them, he then unexpectedly had to fight the urge to stop and look back as well, once a startling realization had struck him. This area, this part of the city… It seemed familiar, far too familiar, and it didn't take him long to understand why.

_We __**were**__ here before._

More specifically, atop of the apartment rise the girl and her friend had just entered into. There, that had been the place they had finally met Mother—not long afterward, they had also encountered the girl's strange friend. According to what the girl had told him about what her friend's mother had reported, however, she had been missing all morning and afternoon. But then, did that mean she had been on that roof that entire time? Even further mystifying him, why hadn't they seen her until then?

If he hadn't been suspicious of her already, he was certainly suspicious of her now, and especially once he did surreptitiously sneak a glance back. At least, he had thought it was surreptitious, for he was startled to see someone staring straight back at him. Somehow, even from this distance, the strange girl herself was able to lock eyes with him, gazing at him from a window on the third floor—whether it was a window of her residence or in a hallway, he could not tell.

Yet, what he did know for certain was that, for those brief seconds their eyes had made contact, his body was frozen in place. It truly felt as though he had been paralyzed on the spot as long as the girl was looking directly at him, except thankfully for the fact that he could shut his eyes, and he did so quite tightly. It was only then that the sense of paralysis left him, and he could move again. Upon reopening his eyes and looking back at the window, however, the girl had gone.

_What the…?_

The last time Yazoo had felt this incredulous about something, it had been when he had first seen the orange-haired girl unwittingly cast a Fire spell upon that Whole Eater, completely unaware then of the latent powers she had tapped into. Now, as he proceeded to stare at that window, he could not help but wonder exactly what he had experienced—although he had barely any evidence now that the moment had really just occurred.

Had he just been imagining the girl standing at the window? Had he really been frozen in place against his will, or had it only been in his head?

"Yazoo…? I thought you said we had to go."

Loz's utter confusion at his apparently contradictory actions was perhaps the only proof he could get, though it was hardly enough that it wasn't in his imagination. Finding it better to simply act as if nothing had transpired, he strode past Loz, who had gotten ahead of him, and continued after the half siblings without a word, sensing his brother's growing bewilderment. There was no point in bringing it up if it had been an imaginary incident, especially given Loz's odd attachment to the mysterious girl. He might not accept that there could be anything suspicious about her.

But, if there was, then what did it mean for both of them? For the siblings, or Kadaj even? What role could this girl possibly have in any of this? Mother hadn't said anything about another person having any part in this, not even the mysterious 'boss' that the half-brother was working for. Unless…

_No._ The split second after the thought had occurred to him, he immediately dismissed it. There was no chance it could be possible; the notion was so ridiculous it was senseless of him to even consider it. He had thought this way before about the girl, before he had learned the truth, but this was even more of an impossibility.

Nevertheless, Yazoo knew that a mystery far larger and more complex than he could have ever dared to imagine. Ironically, it was because of Mother, the one being he had hoped to gain clarity from, that he was far more confused than ever before.

**

* * *

**

Falling asleep and waking… falling asleep and waking… May had been put through it so many times at this point she was almost starting to get used to being put to sleep against her will. It had almost become expected that Raide would put her under a sleeping spell for convenience's sake, and scary though it had been for her the first times he had done it, the young girl had come to think that maybe it would be better if she were asleep all the time now while Raide was taking her to Gongaga.

Maybe, if she were put to sleep enough, she would eventually just stop waking up altogether. She would sleep through it all, and maybe she would only wake up when Kallie had found her again. That was what she wanted, more than anything else; it would be like waking from a nightmare and finding it had only been a dream…

Only, this time, the terror of being put to sleep had returned, if only because she hadn't been expecting to have a sleeping spell placed on her right then and there. Raide hadn't shown any indications he was about to… All she last remembered was Raide running after that strange light, dragging her along behind him into an alley. They had heard approaching footsteps, a flash of blue-white light flooded her vision, and then she had known only blackness.

Now, as she was slowly coming to from that blackness, a familiar fear had begun to grip her: the same fear that had gripped her when she had first woken up to find herself kidnapped. That same fear of knowing she was someplace different, and those she knew were no longer with her. In her growing consciousness, she could feel a strange rocking motion, one that made her feel disorientated and unsteady even though she lay still upon a firm surface. At least that surface, however, was soft and comfy, a comfort unlike anything she had felt in a long time…

But, somehow, even before she became fully aware of her surroundings, she became aware that Raide was no longer with her. Instead, there was someone else with her right now. Someone she knew she did not know, and yet, she still knew something about whoever it was. She couldn't quite pinpoint how she knew that feeling, or what it was exactly; all she knew was that this person had a powerful presence, and it terrified her.

It was then that she really wished she could simply be put to sleep again, to sleep forever and never have to face whoever this person was. It was so comfy where she was anyway, she thought she could fall back asleep again… yet tried though she did, she couldn't. In fact, the more she lay there, the more restless she became, the more of an urge she had to move around again. Besides, she was slowly getting the feeling that, whoever was with her, knew she was awake, and there was no sense in hiding it anymore.

Reluctantly, fearfully, May at last began to stir, cautiously pushing herself into a seated upright position, rubbing her eyes to rid them of their heaviness. It was then, for the first time, that she took in her new, unfamiliar surroundings: she had been laying upon a bed, one of two beds within a small room that looked like a hotel room. But, she soon came to realize otherwise upon looking out the large window, and started at seeing nothing but the vast blue ocean, stretching out unto the horizon—that would explain the strange unsteadiness she had felt when she had been laying down on the bed before, as she had never been on a boat or anything like that in the past.

The novelty of traveling by water for the first time, however, was instantly overshadowed when she saw the unknown individual seated at the foot of the other bed, legs crossed and hands folded neatly upon his or her lap, seemingly gazing out at the window at the sea outside, possibly unaware that May was awake. Whether it was a man or a woman, May could not see, for the dark, travel-worn, weather-beaten cloak that he or she wore completely concealed his or her identity.

Yet, even as the person suddenly turned their head about to face May, even before the person could speak to her, May had let out a gasp of terror, shrinking away in fear, for it had then suddenly dawned upon her exactly who this person could be.

_But… it __**can't**__ be…_ The young girl's mind was spinning in confusion. _It can't be… I can't be meeting __**her**__ this soon… I wasn't supposed to!_

"Be not afraid, May." The woman's voice had a strange calmness to it, one that instantaneously placated May in her terror along with her reassuring message, though her heart was still pounding. "You are under my protection here; I will not bring you to harm."

May said nothing back, still absorbing the sight of the woman sitting there, and the fact that this was the very same woman whom Raide had spoken of so much, the same woman who had told Raide to kidnap her and bring her back for reasons he would not say… But, she hadn't been expecting to meet her _this_ soon. Why was she here? What had happened? Where was Raide…?

"Where… am I?"

"On a ferry to the neighboring continent. We will be landing at a small settlement late this evening; there, we will find a place to stay, and then in the morning begin our journey by chocobo to Gongaga. That will take us at least half a day, but we shall arrive before nightfall."

A sinking feeling immediately took place in her chest, knowing all too well what that meant.

_I'm really getting farther and farther away from home… from Kallie…_ It also then occurred to May just exactly why Raide's boss had come to take her the rest of the way to Gongaga herself, but she suddenly wasn't sure if it made her feel even more despondent, or elated at the realization she had come to.

"Kallie… She was getting close, wasn't she? Is… is that why I'm here…?"

Her voice seemed to grow tinier and tinier the more she spoke, for all the while, the woman had continued to stare at her, her expression and mood completely unfathomable thanks to that cloak that covered most of her face, even if she thought she could see one of her eyes peering out from behind a fold of fabric. It was plaintive that the woman was listening, but it intimidated May to feel as if she was being sized up, unsure of what that woman was thinking.

"You are quite the perceptive young child, May," the woman said at last, in that inscrutable voice, which made May shrink even more into herself, even if it had been meant as a compliment. "I should expect no less of you, given the blood that runs through your veins. You are indeed blessed to have the family that you have."

May knew that. May well knew that, and she didn't need anybody to remind her. But, to be reminded of how wonderful her family had been to her, how great Daddy was to her and how she loved Kallie more than ever now that she was all she had left, made an all too familiar tide of emotions engulf her. Thankfully, as she turned her face downwards, raising an arm to hide her tears, such an action was made easier when the woman abruptly stood up from the bed. Her arms disappeared inside her cloak, the garment almost completely concealing her body now as she walked over to the window, stopping in front of it to gaze out at the sea with her back partially to May.

"Yes, that is why I am here, why you are with me now, and not with Raide. As I'm sure Raide has informed you, your cousin, Kalina, has found allies to assist her in her journey to rescue you. Though that was something I accounted for, and I planned accordingly, I was nonetheless unprepared for how she would surmount the obstacles I placed in her way, and she has proceeded faster than I had anticipated.

"Thus, if I was to not allow my plans to fall through, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I traveled all the way to Gongaga, to intercept Raide before he could make it onto this ferry. I left him behind in Junon, so that he could delay Kalina just enough that I could escape with you.

"Now… I can carry through with my plans as I had hoped, without interference from that nuisance of a girl. I needn't worry about her, until the time is right."

_Kallie's __**not**__ a nuisance…_

The anger that then flared up within May was a welcome respite from the fear she felt in the face of this mysterious woman, and it was then that she openly allowed a tear to leak from her eye, a bold protest that made her suddenly feel liberated. Even if there was nothing she could do right now, if there was anything she could ever do to save herself from this fate, at least she would have shown defiance. It made her suddenly feel proud as well, for it was something she knew Kallie or Daddy would have done, even if they wouldn't shed angry tears as she did now.

"Why… why's Kallie a n-nuisance?" It made May even more furious when the woman barely turned around to acknowledge her question, to do anything to indicate she was listening. "Why? She's never bothered anybody! _We_ never bothered anybody!"

"_You_ have not, that I can assure you, May." Even though the woman did face her now, her tone of voice was still relatively unaffected, which made May even angrier. "As for Kalina… well, I cannot say that she has exactly 'bothered' anyone either. She has had no say in her involvement from the beginning—before she was even born, this was to be her destiny.

"Yet…" An ever so small smile appeared on what could be seen of her face, and her voice became ever so slightly condescending. "Is that not what fate is? It is a tragedy, but that is Kalina's existence. This is the existence that she and her siblings were born into, and we have no choice but to play our respective parts, the roles that the Planet has degreed for us.

"I am a strong believer in the power that the Planet holds over our lives, for I have seen that power first hand. It is real, and it affects us all."

_Fate_… It was something May had never really thought about before. It was something no child should have to think about or understand just yet. She wasn't sure if she wanted to either, though wasn't sure she had a say in the matter then and there.

"On that note, I am sure that you must be wondering why you are here now, May, and what role the Planet has given you in this crisis." She turned away again. "However… though I had planned to tell you upon our first meeting, the circumstances now are not how I wanted them to be. The best place that I see fit to tell you is where I intend to let our plans unfold, in Gongaga. Until we arrive there, your question must wait to be answered."

_But… why not now…?_ May still didn't understand why the answer couldn't come now. Was it maybe a truth so terrible that she would double her efforts to want to run away before they reached Gongaga? That was the only reason May could think of, and that alone did make her yearning for escape intensify—if only she could. Being in the boss's presence now, she knew that her chances of escape were next to nothing…

"You are right, May. Escape is a futile consideration."

May could have sworn her heart stopped for a moment in shock, her breath catching in her chest. _H-how… how did she know…?_ She hadn't said anything aloud at all, she was sure of it!

"Of course escape would be the one thing you desire more than anything else. Anyone in your present position would want nothing more than to be home, in their place of comfort, far away from these unwelcoming situations and people like Raide… and myself.

"Yet, I should tell you, May, that you should forget those thoughts right now." The woman then completely turned around then, fully facing May, and it was in such a manner that fear was already stricken into her heart, moments before the woman would say: "You should forget about ever going home again. You will never be able to, for home is now lost to you."

The young girl could not believe her ears. This place—this entire journey—had already felt like a bad dream, but now it was nothing short of a nightmare. That couldn't be it… she _had_ to be asleep still. Even if she would wake to find Raide still held her captive, at least she would know that Kallie was still coming to take her home! If only she could pinch herself and wake up to that reality…

But this woman would only continue to squash those hopes.

"It is not simply because I won't allow you to go home. Even if I did, there would be nothing for you back in Edge. Kalina has left that place you called home, and most likely will never, ever return."

_But… that doesn't __**have**__ to be Edge…_ Even if that news left May shaken, both on the inside and on the outside, there was at least that one solid thought. Even if she couldn't go back to Edge, if she couldn't go back to Mrs. Eliot or any of her friends, she would be at home wherever Kallie was. It had always been that way…

Gradually, however, May had been getting that the woman always knew exactly what she was thinking, even before the first time the woman had said something seemingly in direct response to May's thoughts. Somehow, this woman, who May already knew to possess incredible powers, could read minds, and that seemed to be confirmed as the woman went on.

"I suppose I shouldn't say that you will have no home to go back to… In fact, I intend that, wherever our plans take us, you will find a new home with me."

_N-no, I don't want to…_ That possibility alone was horrifying enough to May, though not as much as the next one the woman presented.

"No… I should say that you should forget about ever returning to your beloved cousin. Any and all attachments that you hold dear to Kalina should be abandoned now, for you will never again find the life that you had with her before."

"_No!"_

It had been forever since May had last shrieked like that. The last time she could think of was when she had watched her own father, the only person she had possibly loved more than Kallie, pass away before her own eyes. Even as he had struggled with the stigma, she had simply been unable to accept that he could ever be gone from her life too. Likewise, the possibility of never being able to be together with Kallie again was something she couldn't possibly comprehend.

Her hands were over her ears, her head bowed, now outright sobbing as she blocked out those unpleasant words, blocking out that woman and anything else she might say to shatter the only hope May was clinging to right now. The hope that Kallie could rescue her was all that she had to sustain her. When she felt the woman approach, extending a hand as if to comfort her, May whimpered angrily and pushed herself away, distancing herself as much as she could from the woman.

Despite her best efforts, however, the woman still managed to touch her—yet the most unexpected thing resulted from that touch. As the woman placed a gentle hand upon the top of her head, a rush of ease and reassurance suddenly found its way into May, though one she knew hadn't come from within herself. Even she, a child, well knew that it was something the woman herself had induced, like an injection to help assuage the distress she felt.

The strangest part about it was, for that brief period of time the woman had that hand upon her head, placing those feelings inside of her… those feelings were something she had felt before. They were feelings someone else had given to her. It was as if there was a familiar voice murmuring comfortingly to her, a familiar embrace of powerful arms encircling her, holding her close, telling her not to be afraid and everything was going to be all right…

And then, it was with disbelief that she recognized who it was. But, it couldn't be.

_D-Daddy…?_

The tears lingered upon her cheeks and continued to stream from her hazel eyes, even as the woman slowly took her hand away. But, the tears were from a kind of joy, to have felt that familiar comfort from one who had been gone from her, a comfort she thought she would never, ever feel again in this world. Though she could easily see it was still her and just this woman alone in this room together, during that time she really had felt Daddy's presence, as real as though he were still alive.

Even so, she well knew that all this woman had wanted to accomplish with that was to sedate May, and it had worked. The terror, despair, fear, and anger she had felt before had disappeared, leaving her calm once more, though all that was in its place was emptiness, which May wasn't sure if that was what was for better or for worse as the woman straightened up again, taking a step or two back.

"It is truly in your best interests to begin letting go of your cousin now, May." Though the woman continued as though there had been no interruption, there was a slightly harder edge to her voice. "To simply sever your ties with her now will make the pain of her loss easier."

"Loss…?"

"That kind of a loss… yes, it is possible, and I pray that, once I am finished with Kalina, she perishes before she truly begins sinking into a personal hell she cannot escape from. She and her siblings deserve to die so they are free from this existence, before it is too late.

"Yet, truthfully, the loss that I ask you prepare yourself for may not be her actual death. Though she is on a mission for the sole purpose of rescuing _you_, it may not stay that way forever. Depending on how this journey, those she travels her, and her own powers affect her, she may become an entirely different person altogether—and I have seen that these changes are already apparent."

"In a sense, then, Kalina will die… for the cousin that you know and love so dearly will be no more. Changed, forgotten, gone. That may very well be Kalina's fate, and the fate that her siblings are doomed to as well."

_They're all doomed to it too…?_ What could such a terrible fate possibly be?

But, while it was difficult to feel dismay or grief at such horrible news due to the sedative effects of that woman's magic, that didn't prevent her from being in disbelief at all that the woman had told her. It had never appeared possible to her that Kallie could die. She had always been such a strong person, and that day when she had fought off those Whole Eaters seemed to have proved it to her. She had charged straight into danger and came out alive—all for May's sake.

Then again, what was even more frightening to May was the kind of loss the woman had spoken of: the possibility that her cousin was going to simply become a different person altogether. May had always loved Kallie for who she was, and that was all she needed; even when her cousin would get frustrated, tired or angry, she would always love her in spite of those faults, because she could always trust Kallie to pull through for her and be there whenever she needed her the most. Daddy had been the only other person who she could place that kind of trust in.

_And I could lose Kallie too…_ What just made it even more horrible was the idea that her cousin would still be around—she would just forget all about May. She wouldn't be the Kallie she had held so dear to her.

"I… do not relish in telling you this information, May. It is with a heavy heart that I must foresee the possible futures of your cousins, and others who might be affected by these events."

At least the woman did truly sound apologetic, as well as showing sympathy towards the upcoming tragedies that May might have to endure, although May did wish that the woman would look at her directly when she was trying to assuage her so. She might seem a little more sincere that way. Instead, the woman had turned away again, walking back towards the window.

"I should clarify that all that I have said are merely predictions. I may be able to catch even a glimpse into the future, but the future is in constant flux. It has a foundation in the events of the past, though always affected by the actions of the present. What I have told you are merely forewarnings; Kallie may not die or become an entirely different person, yet it is still in your best interest to prepare for the worst."

"But… I don't want to." If it was only a possibility that Kallie would die or change, then May was going to hold on to her fervent belief that she was going to survive.

The woman did not respond to that; it seemed like she couldn't think of anything else to tell May, if she was going to still believe that. The silence fell heavy, then, which May was all too grateful for. She didn't need to hear any more assumptions about the supposedly wretched fate that would befall her cousin, especially if it was just all guesswork.

Besides, Daddy would never have wanted her to lose hope in Kallie, not once… It would have made him sad that she had lost faith in her family.

"You must be hungry, May," the woman finally said, after many quiet minutes. "I know that Raide made sure you were properly fed every day of your journey, even if it meant he would deprive himself of nourishment. Regardless, I know even that couldn't be enough." She started to turn towards the door. "I will find food here on the ferry to bring back to you. I will return as soon as I can."

With that, she departed the room, closing the door behind her. May was pretty sure that she locked it behind her too, but knew it couldn't be just to keep her prisoner here, since she well knew she could open the door from the inside whether or not she had a key. But, it was then May was truly all by herself, with only the rocking sea outside the window and her turbulent thoughts inside her head to keep her company.

_This woman…_

Maybe it was due to the strange magic she had used on her, or simply because May had never held hatred in her heart before, but despite all that the woman had done and said, she couldn't bring herself to despise her. Somehow, she got the feeling that maybe the woman herself didn't have a say in what she was doing, if she was truly doing this for the sake of the Planet. At least she seemed sorry for having to tell May all of those horrible things.

_That, and she's just so… strange._ Strange was the best way to put it, for she hadn't been this mystified about anyone since she had met that man with long silver hair. Even after all Raide had said about her, May hadn't known what to expect when she would finally meet the woman, and now that she had, she had no idea what to think about her!

All that May could describe was how Raide had often referred to her: cryptic and mysterious, stern and solemn. Even around Raide, apparently, she always wore that tattered cloak to conceal her identity, obscuring her face with that hood so onlookers would only be able to catch glimpses of her features. From those few glimpses, though, as well as judging by her mature voice, she was probably around Mrs. Eliot's age, maybe somewhat older.

Again, though, even that was hard to determine, for that voice held many, many years of what May could only describe as deep and ancient wisdom. She spoke with such consummate ease, such uncanny self-assurance that only one of incredible knowledge and experience could possess, that she, like those silver-haired men, seemed to belong to an entirely separate existence altogether. May couldn't forget all that Raide had told her about the woman's powers either, and which she was starting to believe with utter growing certainty. Even her mere presence was powerful, and every time she spoke had sent shivers throughout her body.

_So then… what can someone like __**her**__ want with me…?_ Just what kind of plan did the woman have that would involve May? And, what May wanted to know most of all, just _what_ was so tragic about Kallie's existence?

_Kallie… you're not gonna die, are you? You're not gonna forget about me, right? You're still gonna come save me…_

She had to, she just had to. It was the only hope May had, all that she had to hold onto, and Raide—or even that woman—couldn't take it away from her.

**

* * *

**

_Introducing new characters is always such a wonderful thing! For me, at least. XD I enjoy it for the sole fact that it's refreshing to write about an all new character who can bring a new twist on things, not to mention I've been wanting to write their personalities for a long time now, after all this time of simply thinking about them in my head. I know that the 'boss' was pretty much introduced back in Chapter 26, I think it was, but I never really got to go that deep into her personality or anything, not as much as I did here anyway. _

_And how about Meryl, eh? It's nice to know what she's like now that she's finally conscious, lol. I'm actually curious as to what people think of her, since I've never tried writing a character quite like her before—not quite a ditz, but not the brightest bulb in the box either, even if she's as sweet as can be. Although, that distant interaction between her and Yazoo could prove otherwise…? What does she have to hide? We'll see, we'll see. ;)_

_As always, reviews and feedback are much appreciated. Also, happy early Halloween, to those of you who celebrate it! ^_^_


	31. A Brief Interlude

_Hey guys! MASSIVE apologies for getting this chapter out so late, especially later than I hoped it would be released. However, I don't feel TOO bad about it—wanna know why? Because we're almost to the end of __Embers__! YAYNESS! HUZZAH! CELEBRATION! I don't know if I made it clear enough before, but this right here is pretty much the second to last chapter in this installment of the __Illusory Flame__ trilogy! Took long enough, huh?_

_For those of you who might have missed out, I did post an update on my profile, explaining why the chapter wasn't going to be up and whatnot. I don't remember exactly what I said, but you can go ahead and read it if you want—if you don't, you're not missing out on much, really. But yeah, having been in the midst of finals and all that jazz, not to mention actually changing my major practically at the last minute, I decided that, because I know just how much remains of __Embers__ and thus how much I will need to write, I decided to take it easy with this chapter. It really helped, honestly, I wish I could do this more often with this fanfiction! XD_

_Well, that's all I have to say for now… I'll post another author's note as usual at the end, so… yeah. Happy reading! :-3_

**IGNIS FATUUS: EMBERS**

**Chapter 31**

_A Brief Interlude_

_Once again, it seems that we're caught up in a new crisis, in another battle for the Planet…_

But, were she, Cloud, and everyone else going to be the ones to actually save this time? Would they be able to actually do anything at all? Somehow, with all that Aerith had told them today, that was the disquieting feeling Tifa was getting, and which was probably the reason why she still hadn't been able to fall asleep yet. It probably didn't help much either that she happened to be sleeping on a bunk below Yuffie in one of the sleeping quarters aboard the _Shera_, who was either snoring, tossing about restlessly, or mumbling incoherently in her sleep.

Even asleep, however, the young Wutaian princess didn't seem to be all that content or restful. While she often complained about the new missions that they had to embark on, she would nevertheless approach it with an almost carefree energetic enthusiasm (Tifa also hadn't been able to help but note how the girl's eyes had lit up at the mention of the powerful materia the three strange siblings possessed). Beneath all of that, however, she could sense how uneasy Yuffie truly was about their new situation; she had been able to see it in everyone after they had all been informed upon Cid's arrival in the Sleeping Forest. Even regular members of W.R.O. who had been present seemed to comprehend the magnitude of what they were dealing with.

_We've never had to deal with anything quite like this before, after all._ It certainly felt much different than the Jenova War they had fought two years ago, and different even than the incident that had happened nearly two weeks ago now. Both times, Sephiroth had been their main adversary, and that just might the case still, but the way Aerith had put it made it seem as if he was only part of the equation this time around. What exactly might be the greatest threat now remained to be seen, and that was what was probably the cause of Tifa's anxiety.

_I think we would all feel so much better about all of this if we only knew what we were up against…_ Tifa half-heartedly wanted Aerith to hear her thoughts, so that she and Zack could figure out this dilemma faster. It was even making her feel that they might not come out of this one alive, though she quickly dropped such pessimistic sentiments—of course they were going to make it through in one piece! They had thought it the end of the world two years ago and they had still won in the end, hadn't they?

_If only for Denzel and Marlene's sakes…_

The thought of the two children Tifa cared for as if they were her own made her roll over again, now staring at the underside of Yuffie's bunk as the girl gave a few more sleepy grumbles. As much as she hoped for her and Cloud to at last settle down and resume the normal lives they longed for, she wished the same for the children—she wished for them not to lead the chaotic lives she and Cloud had. Maybe, just maybe, if they could win this battle, defeating Sephiroth once and for all, that victory could ensure a peaceful future at last. Everyone could finally concentrate on simply rebuilding the world, without the prospect of another war-torn society.

Everyone had shared the same sentiments today, and none more so than the head of W.R.O. himself. Though he could not be physically present, save for Cait Sith as his representative, he had been able to listen and speak to them all through a large monitor in the large cockpit area where the meeting had taken place. Now that they were aware of the current situation, as well as the possible location of the remnants and their newfound allies, Reeve had reassured them that they would double their efforts to ensure that they could deal no more damage to the Planet. Even he, however, had seemed a little irked that he could not have the W.R.O. do anything more, given Aerith's orders that they remain in stand-by mode, yet he understood all too well.

"In the meantime, perhaps I can have the W.R.O. do some research into these three siblings and the strange materia they possess," Reeve told them. "We may not have much to go by, yet there still must exist some kind of information on their origin or their purpose. Aerith said that she knew very little of their materia, correct?"

"Yeah, other than the fact that they've had the materia before they were born, and that the materia is probably several centuries old at least. That was all she said she could tell us."

"Certainly sounds like something that could be connected to the Ancients, then. We'll do as much research as we can, and perhaps we can find something that will be of use not only to us, but to Aerith and Zack as well. They just might be the only ones to help us figure out this mess, after all…"

_They've got to, they've just go to…_ Because until then, everyone knew, they would simply be drifting in limbo. Tifa especially had never been more aware of that fact, lying awake here in bed… She did want to get her rest, so that she might have as much energy as possible during their meeting with Rufus Shinra tomorrow, yet it was as if she could not rest at all until this crisis was resolved, even if there was nothing she and the others could do for now.

Suddenly, Tifa felt like she couldn't keep trying to fall asleep anymore.

_Oh, forget this._

Abruptly pulling herself upright, Tifa put her feet to the floor and began slipping on her shoes, deciding that if she was feeling this restless, maybe she could try to walk it off a bit. She wasn't sure if simply taking a short walk around the airship would suffice, or outside in the forest if that wasn't enough, but either way, she had to do something. Too many days had passed of doing nothing, and she couldn't take it anymore, sleep or no sleep. Not getting any sleep during times like these wasn't unusual for any of them anyways.

Taking her gloves along just in case, she headed out of the sleeping quarters and down the various corridors in the ship, unsure of her destination. Having usually been on the airship while it was in action, it certainly felt slightly surreal to be wandering about its decks this late at night, without hearing the roar of the engines or whirring of the propellers. Though the ship was in standby mode, meaning there was hardly any power running at all, there was still enough power that dim lighting helped guide Tifa's way, provided by rows of soft lights embedded in the walls.

When she reached the large cockpit area, however, while the room had its own dim lighting, it was startlingly brighter than the rest of the ship, since the spacious domed windows allowed for plenty of light from the Sleeping Forest outside to filter in. Unable to help but feel mesmerized by the sight, Tifa stood there in admiration before walking over to the window to peer out, as well as looking through the glass floor beneath her feet.

_Last night here, huh…?_ Tifa certainly wasn't complaining about leaving this place; not only had she been stuck here for three tedious days, but pretty though the forest was, it still wasn't exactly a source of comfort.

Nevertheless, she could not shake that nagging feeling that this just might be the last time she would see the Sleeping Forest or the Forgotten City. It certainly bugged her that she was feeling this way, for she knew perfectly well that there was no reason to be thinking these things. Sure, there were some things that they didn't quite understand right now, but that didn't mean the end of the world now, did it?

"So, you're still up too?"

Over and over again, Tifa had sworn that she wouldn't be startled by that voice again, but the owner of that voice seemed to be an unexpected master of stealth. Given that she hadn't expected to encounter anyone else on her restless walk, she was especially more taken off guard as she whirled to face the speaker, leaning against the platform on which the helm was situated.

"And how are you still so good at sneaking up on me like that?" she sighed lightheartedly, putting a hand on one hip. "I tried to do it once earlier and that didn't work out so well for me."

"Maybe I can help you practice, then," he replied, smirking as he left his spot and walked over to her. "Then again, I'm not sure if I'd be of much help. I don't even intend to frighten you. So, sorry if I did… again."

"Well, you didn't scare me all that much this time, so don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

That aside, it was certainly strange to see Cloud without his usual armaments, even if Tifa had been seeing more of that ever since last week, given he hadn't gone out and run any errands for his delivery service during that time. His sword harness was gone, as well as the pauldron he normally wore on his left shoulder; he had even left out his gloves, and it was an especially rare sight for her to see his bare hands…

"Anyways… back to what I was saying. I didn't expect anyone but myself to be up still, especially at this hour."

"Me neither. Can't sleep either?"

Cloud shook his head. "Nope… I'll admit, I'm far too eager for morning to come. I'm looking forward to speaking with Rufus and finding out what he knows about any of this. I want to be able to find out for both the W.R.O. and Aerith."

"Same here. I'm just about as curious as you are. The more clarity we have about this situation, the better… I just want to know what we're dealing with here, and I don't think I could rest until we do."

"Careful, Tifa. You're sounding like you'll become an insomniac," chuckled Cloud. "Although, I think we're all going to be facing many sleepless nights from now on, now that we have some idea of what we need to be doing."

"It's only some idea, though…" Tifa had quickly become solemn again with the thoughts from before. "We know we can talk to Rufus, but what else can we do after that? Will we be able to figure out our next move just from that?"

"Eventually, I'm sure we will. Something will happen, and we will know what to do when it does."

Even as he said those words, though, Cloud could tell it was going to take quite a bit to bring Tifa out of her uncertain state. It seemed that the news Aerith had to bear to them had shaken her more than anything else had been able to, just from learning that they had far more on their hands than simply eradicating the remnants. Yet, Cloud could not help but find it quite strange that he was the one providing comfort and reassurance to Tifa now, when their roles had been reversed only a week or so ago—he knew that Tifa herself had remarked upon seeing such a change in him not long ago. He certainly wasn't protesting, though; he was grateful to have the opportunity to reciprocate the concern she had always shown towards him…

"Tifa…" Though hesitant at first, he soon did muster the will to gently touch her shoulder. She expectedly flinched, having rarely ever had contact with his bare hands before, though she hardly acted repulsed. "Everything's going to be all right, I promise."

She did not look at him, though. "And… we're going to make it out alive, right?"

Cloud could only stare at her incredulously, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Of course we will, Tifa! I can't believe I'm hearing these things from you."

But, Tifa suddenly giggled then. "Sorry… I couldn't help it. Don't worry, I know everything will be just fine. I just… It makes me feel so much better to hear it from you."

That did put Cloud's mind at ease, and he could not help but share in the light humor. "Because I'm the last person on the Planet to say that, right?"

"Nah, that would be Vincent, you know."

"Careful where you say that," he swiftly warned her, though lightheartedly as he glanced around the room for safe measure to ensure it was free of any crimson-cloaked gunslingers. "You really don't know when he can appear…"

"What? I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I mean, he knows it's the truth."

Before Cloud could retort with anything, however, Tifa laughed again, brushing a hand over her eye as if wiping away a tear of laughter.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized again. "Maybe I do need to get some sleep, or I'm just really stir-crazy… I'm just not like myself at all right now."

While that did seem to be the case somewhat, Cloud couldn't help but laugh. "Well, no matter what you are, Tifa, I'll always be accepting of you. You really don't need to worry."

"Thanks, Cloud…" Tifa chuckled, albeit somewhat sheepishly.

They stood there in silence for a short while then, looking out towards the glowing forest side by side. Just when Cloud was about to suggest that they head for bed, however, and Tifa should try to get some sleep, she suddenly spoke up again.

"Cloud… You remember that night two years ago, right? The night before we went to confront Sephiroth and Jenova in the Northern Crater?"

"Of course I remember." How could Cloud have forgotten a night such as that one?

"Remember when everyone left that night, because we told them that, if this was to be the end, they should return home at least one more time? Remember… that you and I were the only ones who said we didn't have a home to return to?"

"I do…"

"That's… different now, wouldn't you agree?"

Cloud could only nod in agreement. "Yeah… I would definitely say that we have someplace to call home, and I'm pretty determined to return there too."

"Same here. And, I don't know about you, but we have someone to return to as well this time around. Someone I'm determined to fight for, and to give me a reason to make sure I'll live through this."

"You mean, Denzel and Marlene?"

"Yes, them of course, but…" She hesitated, briefly. "I'm bent on staying alive for… you as well, Cloud. You're my reason for surviving, and you… always have been."

When Cloud only kept gazing at her, however, at an apparent loss for words, she hurriedly continued, "But, it's okay if you don't think the same way, Cloud. It won't change the fact that I'm just glad that… I have you as a reason to live."

At that, she quickly turned away, obviously quite abashed by what she had confessed to him. Yet, Cloud did not want her to believe that he didn't care about her the same way.

"Tifa… I'm glad as well, because… you're also my reason to live."

Upon processing those words, Tifa abruptly whipped around, wringing her hands fleetingly before meeting Cloud's earnest gaze, conveying in those moments her astonishment, her appreciation, and her elation at his reciprocation. Then, without warning, in a movement that definitely caught Cloud unaware, she suddenly embraced him in her joy. For the longest time, she had not been able to recall ever having touched, let alone held him like this before, and certainly not with this level of emotion attached to her actions, yet it had been so long since anyone had spoken to her like that before.

"Thank you, Cloud…" she whispered to him. "Thank you… I'm sorry that I ever said we wouldn't make it out alive. I just…"

Just as suddenly then, however, Tifa then abruptly pulled herself away, her hand slightly covering her mouth as she glanced away from him. In the dim light from the glowing trees outside, Cloud thought he saw her usually pale skin flush with color. Waving a hand before her face momentarily, she looked towards him again, though met his eyes only briefly.

"Sorry…" Smiling, she gave a quick nod of her head while continuing to back away. "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep now, it is really getting late… Good night, Cloud, sleep well!"

"You too, Tifa," he responded, smiling in return, though she had begun to walk away so quickly it seemed as though she hadn't seen or even heard his reply.

Even as she left him standing there by himself in the silence of the room, however, he could not ignore the fact that his own heart was pounding in the wake of how close she had been to him. Not merely physically, but emotionally as well.

**

* * *

**

"I gotta say, sis… I might hate your guts as much as Kallie's, but I sure appreciate ya puttin' me up someplace as nice as this."

"Spare me the gratitude, Raide. I'm only doing this because I want to keep an eye on you, and I'm the only one who want to put up with you anyways—_especially_ not Kallie."

"Like I give a damn 'bout the reason. I've gotten sick of campin' out almost every night for the past two weeks—it's really sucked ass."

Aurei only grunted in response as she stripped off the last of her armaments, placing them in a neat pile beside her bed; her half-brother had done likewise earlier, and was now seated on the edge of his own bed, sneering as he usually did at her comment. He too, though, said nothing else, merely allowing his body to fall backwards until he lay flat on the bed, loudly expressing his contentment with a sigh as he stretched out. It wasn't long before he abruptly sat up again, just in time to see that Aurei had removed her blue jacket that was more like a dress, revealing the dark blue, short-sleeved turtleneck and gray leggings she wore underneath. With her usual combat raiment gone, it was quite apparent to Raide just how relieved Aurei appeared to be, despite the short amount of time he had spent in her presence.

_An' yet, it feels like I've known ya forever, sis._

Without even having to think about it, though, Raide knew could be entirely attributed to the memories he possessed that weren't his to begin with. Thanks to hints that his boss had provided and his own realizations, he had come to the conclusion long ago that he, Aurei, and Kallie had all known each other in their past lives, whoever they might have been. Having experienced that déjà vu during his battle with Kallie had pretty much confirmed it, and with how familiar Aurei's personality seemed to him was just another piece of evidence. Somehow, he just knew how cold and reticent of a person she would be—that was exactly how her past self had once been.

_It's plain as day that you've given in to her, ain't it?_ If she had spent nearly seven years training, as his boss had surmised, then she surely must have allowed her consciousness to meld with her alter ego long ago, whether she had wanted it or not. That was to be the same fate for all of them, though Raide was of the opinion that he simply didn't give a shit—all he cared about was the power it gave to him.

Then again, that was probably the only thing Kallie and Aurei cared about too, whether they wanted to admit it or not. No one could deny the promise of power, no matter the cost, no matter what they thought, especially if it was freely given to them. At least _he_ had chosen to freely embrace it. His only regret was that he hadn't 'awakened' sooner in his life.

"Remember, we're getting up at roughly seven tomorrow, so that we can rendezvous with the rest of the group and then catch the ferry to Gongaga," broke in Aurei's voice, his sister taking a seat on the bed opposite from him, though assumed a much less relaxed position with her arms and legs folded rather tensely. "And you are not to delay us in any way, shape, or form. Understood?"

"Sheesh, why all the distrust, sis? What reason would _I_ got to 'delay' us, eh?" Though his tone was quite snide at first, it quickly became slightly more deadly. "Believe it or not, I actually _wanna_ get outta this shithole as much as the rest of us. Ya really think I'd be that much of an idiot asshole to hold us back?"

"You certainly have been bent on causing us as much strife as possible. Can you really blame me for distrusting you as much as I do?"

"Not one bit," he jeered back. "An' just as a warnin', you're better off not trustin' me at all on this journey. Don't think the fact that we're siblings or we've got some weird ass materia inside of us is gonna change anythin'. I'm just along for the ride."

Her bright gray eyes narrowed quite dangerously. "We'll see about that, Raide. Your cooperation is the only thing that will grant you any respect from any of us."

"Who _said_ I was ever askin' for respect from _anybody?_"

"You never said it, but I can tell you want respect regardless."

It was Raide's turn to give a deadly stare back. "Oh, really?"

"Really." Aurei's posture had changed now; she had unfolded both her arms and legs, leaning forward slightly with cool earnest. "Whether you know it or not, you'll find yourself wanting respect soon enough from us all. Our comradeship is the only way you'll be able to survive on this journey."

"_Really_, sis?" Nothing could stop Raide from laughing at that. "Tell me, how do ya think I'm sittin' here in one piece right now? I made it here _all_ by myself, needin' _nobody's_ help along the way—in fact, I was the one savin' May all the time! 'Sides, _I_ ain't the one who's got enemies here. I'm supposed to be the enemy, right?"

There was such a silence after that, Raide might have been led to believe that Aurei was at a loss for a reply to that—except for the fact that, for the whole while, she had been keeping an intense eye contact with him. Though such acts of intimidation could hardly faze him, as he stared quite unflinchingly back, he nevertheless could not help but wonder exactly what she might say to counter him. At last, she broke eye contact, but only to shake her head in apparent disdain.

"You obviously don't understand… You've been away from him for far too long. You probably have never even heard his voice or felt his presence before. Because of that woman, I'm sure. She has been using her power to block your subconscious mind, hindering you like a shackled beast of burden."

"Whoa, now don't start talkin' like some cryptic spinster. I already get enough of that bullshit from my boss." Nevertheless, he was quite intrigued by what she meant by 'him'. "Who the hell're ya referrin' to? Our dear father? Can't really blame _me_ for not havin' been around him enough, y'know. Or… could ya even be talkin' about that mentor of yours?"

"So, you _do_ know who he is." Aurei seemed to have whispered that more to herself, though. Strangely enough, though, while it didn't seem like she was purposely avoiding his questions, it was almost as if she hadn't heard him at all. "And you seemed to have discovered enough on your own without him. That woman has probably helped you to tap into your latent abilities, yet it's also highly probable that she has prevented you from realizing your full potential, whether she knows how to do so or not. This entire time, she could have been feeding you nothing but lies."

"An' _how_ do ya know that, exactly?" Raide had to admit, he was starting to feel a little defensive. "Maybe ya've got more experience than the rest of us, and know your materia better than everyone else's, but exactly _how_ does that make ya think ya know everything?"

"Because…" Her voice was ever so soft in its solemnity. "_I_ am the one to carry on my mentor's role. He was the one who knew everything about our materia, our abilities and, most importantly, the roles that we must assume. Before he died, he… decreed that I carry on the role as mentor, and so on his death, I shall."

"Ya don't have to do jack shit 'cuz of some dead guy. How do ya know _you're_ not the one bein' lied to?"

Aurei bristled. "He _never_ led me astray, not once, that's why. It was only because of his guidance that I was able to understand and master my abilities, and become a competent warrior. Were it not for him, I would have been lost long ago."

"Funny ya should mention that, 'cuz my boss is the same way to me."

"Then, who are you to accuse that _my_ mentor was the one to deceive me?"

"My boss has the power of the Planet on her side. She responds _directly_ to its commands, so if there's anyone out there who knows what's good for this world, it'd be her. 'Sides, she's way, _way_ more powerful than any of us could hope to be, but it just so happens that she wants to help _me_ out, and it's you two she's out to get."

"That doesn't mean a thing. For all you know, she might have absolutely no interest in assisting you; more than likely, she'll use you for her own gains, and then mark you for death, just like your sisters."

But Raide only smirked at that. "And your mentor wasn't using you for _his_ own gains?"

"Absolutely not, and how I know this was his concern for our father, our father who has suffered from an unidentifiable sickness ever since he was a young man. His time may be running short, yet not all hope is lost. My mentor told me that, if I were to continue on this path, I could at last find a cure. He could not promise me, yet he kept faith in me nonetheless.

"That is my true mission. Even when all seems lost, I will refuse to give up hope, not until I see our father well and happy again." Her gaze then resumed its threatening glare. "Certainly a much nobler cause than what _you're_ pursuing, Raide."

"How so, sis?" His voice too, though, had become something that was bordering on hostile. "Ya know what I'm after, huh?"

"I do. You want nothing more than to see our father dead, except that you wish it to be by your own hand, by any means necessary."

"Damn right." Raide had never sounded so serious about anything. "For all the shit I've gone through 'cuz of him, _I'm_ the only one who's gonna make sure he's dead."

"You will _not._"

Any sort of threat against their father was enough to stoke Aurei's ire, yet for anyone who sought his death, that was clearly where she drew the line, and anyone who crossed it was good as dead themselves. She had now stood from the bed, standing imposingly in front of her half-brother as she stared him down. As ever, he appeared unfazed by her intimidation, yet he well knew that she meant business.

"If you are to so much as to lay a _finger_ on our father, you _will_ regret it." she snarled at him, softly though vehemently. "Know that I will use everything in my power to protect my father from anyone who wishes him harm, and I will see to it personally that those people will pay. If you choose to carry out your plan, I won't care if you're family or not; our father comes before anyone else, even Kallie.

"If that time is to come, know that you _will_ be outmatched."

Raide had figured as much; he knew that Aurei would be his biggest obstacle in accomplishing what had become one of his biggest objectives in life. Once he had heard that he had two half-sisters, and one of them lived with the father he despised so much, he had known he would have Aurei's sickening filial piety to deal with. Hence, he wanted to let her know that her resolve would be challenged, for just as much as she wanted to protect her father, he wanted their father to die—maybe even more so.

After having come this far, that was what he wanted to believe, anyway.

Yet, before he could address Aurei's resolve, before he could even so much as smirk at her declaration, the subject was abruptly forgotten at with a sudden, blinding burst of blue-white light within the room. Both knew that light quite well, especially when it had come to visit Raide every evening during his journey, though with the two hostile encounters Aurei had had with it, she had already learned her lesson and reacted accordingly.

An Ice spell forming in the palm of her hand, she whipped about to face the all-too familiar serpent that had materialized in the room, just a yard or two from the foot of their beds. While Aurei had been prepared to cast the spell, however, she then just as abruptly cancelled it upon properly assessing the situation. If Raide's boss was as intelligent as she assumed she was, then she certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to start a face off in a public establishment such as this. More than likely, this was simply the boss continuing her nightly routine of checking up on Raide; that certainly seemed to be the case, as it simply hovered there, its blazing azure eyes slowly assessing them both.

"Boss," Raide said, instantly standing up as if to greet his boss in-person.

Yet, the moment he began approaching the serpent, it then was suddenly sucked backwards into the floor, gone as suddenly as it had appeared. He only stared at the empty space where the serpent had been for a moment, though, before swiftly turning back to his sister with a smirk.

"Will ya look at that? Looks like my boss is still lookin' out for me after all."

"That still means nothing," she demurred stiffly.

Proceeding to stare at the spot as well, Aurei heaved a sigh before heading over to the light switch and turned out the lights. Her agitation had never been more apparent as she returned to her bed, even slightly pushing Raide aside on her way over.

"Hey—!" he protested, but Aurei, having flopped down on her bed, swiftly interjected.

"Enough, Raide," she grumbled. "I've had all I can take for today. Get some rest, because we'll be leaving at seven sharp."

"_Sis._"

But Aurei rolled over so her back was to him, positively finalizing the end of their conversation.

**

* * *

**

Real, delicious food. A nice, hot shower. Clean clothes. But, most importantly, an actual bed—and a damn comfortable one at that too.

_Home comforts, how I've __**missed**__ you._

It was only now, as Kallie was staying the night at Meryl's place, that she saw just how much she had taken such luxuries for granted. Long before this, it had been difficult to think of such basic, everyday things as being called 'luxuries', but after having been sleeping outdoors for the past several nights, eating cold rations and only able to use her jacket and backpack as cushions while she slept, 'luxury' was an all too fitting title. The only horrible thing she could think of all this was the fact that she would have to leave all of this behind again and head back on that journey of austerity… She dreaded it, yes, but rather than wallow in that dread, instead she was intent on enjoying and savoring every last second she could of this respite.

That was probably why, even though she lay on the most comfortable bed she had yet to sleep on, Kallie hadn't fallen asleep yet. Even so, she savored its comfort, laying on her back atop the covers with her hands folded over her stomach. Her unbound hair was still quite damp from a relaxing shower an hour previous, while she was dressed in the spare clothes she had brought along for the trip, which were more suitable for bedtime wear anyways. Her travel clothes, which she had finally been able to wash, were folded neatly next to her bag that sat upon a cushioned chair in the corner.

_I have to say…_ Kallie noted as she again admired the tastefully furnished guestroom. _The one time I get the chance to stay in an actual home, I'm lucky it's someplace as nice as this._

What made her feel doubly fortunate about the situation was that, in spite of her greatest anxieties, she had been as well-received by the Rainier family as she had always been in the past when they had been living in Midgar, especially because she had arrived with their missing daughter. True, she hadn't been greeted without raised eyebrows from Mr. and Mrs. Rainier when they first saw her disheveled appearance and her overall fatigue—it had certainly perturbed her a little when Mr. Rainier had actually remarked it looked like she had been running all over Junon.

Thankfully, worming her way out of too much suspicion hadn't been as difficult as she had foreseen, and for a rather unexpected reason as well: she actually informed the Rainiers that she happened to be on a mission to rescue her kidnapped cousin. It was certainly a risky statement, and once she would bring it up, she knew that she would be bombarded with incredulous questions that would only prolong her unwitting storytelling. But, there simply had been no way around it. There was no other way to explain what would bring her all the way to Junon, let alone why she had endured such a difficult journey to get here.

What certainly made her tale easier to tell, however, was simply how much information she had omitted in general about her journey. Given that the Rainiers, save for Meryl, hadn't otherwise witnessed anything unusual about her, it was quite easy to do. She completely left out that she had met the missing half of her family, or that she had allied herself with the silver-haired crooks from the incident in Edge—in fact, other than citing a few fictional characters as having helped her along the way, she claimed to have made it here all by herself.

When Mr. Rainier inquired with amazement how she had been able to defend herself all that way, of course she completely omitted that it was because she wasn't entirely human after all, that a fire materia was merged with her very body and granted her unnatural abilities. She even left out the fact that she wielded a pair of chakrams, and had actually left them with Aurei before they had departed, just so the Rainiers wouldn't become even more concerned about the direness of May's situation. It wasn't that Kallie wished to brush off how serious the situation was, but only because she didn't want the Rainiers to have any further involvement in this. Even so, she had been faced with a quandary when Mr. Rainier himself insisted on giving her some assistance.

"Mr. Rainier, I'm sorry, but… I can't." After how charitable the Rainiers had always been towards her in the past, it pained her to have to reject their generosity. "This is something that I alone have to take of. I'm really sorry, I am, but I don't want any of you to get involved in this mess too."

"That doesn't matter," Mrs. Rainier said, kindly though firmly backing up her husband. "We know how much May means to you, and we'll be willing to help out in any way that we can."

"Then…" Maybe she could strike a bargain with that. If they insisted on being involved, at least she could keep it to a minimal—they wouldn't be able to argue with that. "The hospitality that you've given me tonight will be more than enough. It's all that I ask for… from all of you."

They kept insisting that they could do more, but Kallie remained adamant in her decision. At last, in the face of her tenacity, they seemed to relent.

"Are you… certain about this, Kallie?"

Kallie managed a warm smile at both of them. "I'm certain."

_I won't deny that it would have been nice to have gotten that kind of help from them…_

While she couldn't be sure exactly what they had in mind, she had a feeling it would have had to do with Mr. Rainier wanting to call on the W.R.O., given that he had a rather high standing within the organization from what she had heard from Meryl. Yet, not only did she had a feeling W.R.O. would have no interest in helping some random citizen rescue a kidnapped cousin, but the W.R.O. was just among the many things she was attempting to elude during this journey. If they ever found out the deeds that she had done, let alone the people she was traveling with, they would surely apprehend her.

_But still, how ironic…_ The people who she would have wanted the most to aid her in her mission were the only ones who couldn't get involved, yet the people she wanted the least to deal with were the ones she had no choice but to seek assistance from. What a life. At least, for tonight, she would have a few hours of peace, by herself, with the people she _did_ want to be around. For at least one night, she wouldn't have to deal with a moronic brat of a half-brother, a taciturn, stoical older sister, a child trapped in a grown man's body, or a cold-hearted asshole that she had conflicted feelings for. For at least one night, she could have that long desired, if only brief, return to normalcy.

_More like I'm just __**pretending**__ everything's normal._

It was depressing to think that, in reality, there really was nothing normal at all about her current situation—the only normal thing about it was having these home comforts she had missed so dearly. In truth, she never _had_ been 'normal', now that she thought about it, given the events in her life both past and present. Really, what the hell was normal anyways? She would be the last person to ask about it, that was for sure.

Now that she was thinking about it, it wasn't so much normalcy that she was glad to have, but merely a night of peace, being in a comfortable space and not having to worry about monsters or other surprise attacks while she slept. Here, she felt safe and secure. Albeit, she did feel quite sorry for her sister, even if she had willingly volunteered to allow Raide to spend the night with her. She could only imagine how Aurei was putting up with it.

_Then, there's Loz and Yazoo…_ She really couldn't understand how she could be concerned about them right now. Or rather, she didn't want to admit at all that she felt any sort of concern about them, though was there any point to that denial anymore? For a while now, she had come to simply accept their presence in spite of her hatred for them, but could she say now that she still really hated them? She had been the one who openly wanted to go out and search for them, after all…

_If I don't hate them anymore, then what __**do**__ I think about them now?_ Did she think of them as just useful allies, as they probably viewed her? Or, did she really think of them as more than that? She and Aurei had both referred to them as companions at one point, so was that it? Or, did she really think of them as… friends?

The thought crossed her mind for only a few seconds before she immediately dismissed it. No, it wasn't like that, it wasn't like that at all. At this point in her life, Kallie had known enough people to know who she could call a friend or not, and neither Loz nor Yazoo fulfilled those qualifications—certainly not the latter, anyway. Loz came closer to being a friend, since he actually treated her with respect and even concern, though she still couldn't quite say they were on friendly terms. Maybe she could never label them as friends because of who—or what—they happened to be. Would it stay the same way with Yazoo too?

_Of course it will!_ He hadn't done anything before to convince her his feelings toward her would change, and he hadn't done anything today either, so the idea that they'd become anything close to friends was absolutely ridiculous, right? But then, what about his attitude towards her earlier, the one she had first noted after they had reunited? It wasn't _entirely_ different from before, with his usual aloof, distant behavior, yet it wasn't completely the same either… On and off, Kallie had reflected upon it, attempting to figure it out, and still it left her mystified, as well as quite unsettled that she couldn't put her finger on it.

Growling, Kallie rolled over and planted her face firmly in her pillow, using it to muffle a greater groan of frustration. Why, just _why_ did Yazoo have to torture her mind like this? One lengthy journey with him, and still she was nowhere near close enough to solving the enigma that he was—if anything, the longer she was around him, the more questions about him that would pop up! Not to mention the ambivalence he had created within her, being all at once attracted to him and yet repulsed by him. It was a state of mind that shouldn't even exist, and still it did nonetheless. Hopefully continuing to travel with him wouldn't make things even more complicated, though the current formula seemed to say otherwise…

_It's a miracle if I'll be able to figure anything out anymore._ Especially after everything had been flipped upside down on her; the lines between right and wrong seemed to become more blurred with every astounding event that occurred. It had come to the point where she had even begun to question if going to rescue May was doing the right thing after all—the way she was going about it, anyway.

_It's not like I ever expected anything amazing to happen because of my powers, only that they would help me get her back…_

In the end, though, Kallie had a sickeningly anxious feeling that it would only serve to deal more harm than good, but she wasn't sure if it was going to be more harmful towards other people or herself. She had hoped that she could use her materia as a way to protect those closest to herself, just as she had used it to save May's life in Midgar's ruins, yet she had wound up injuring Elena and possibly the other Turks back in the Mythril Mines. Subsequently, she had hoped it would aid her in becoming a better, more competent fighter, yet at the possibly heavy toll of turning into someone else altogether—someone else who she knew she didn't want to be.

_Unless I've been that person all my life…_ But just trying to touch upon that matter gave her the impending feeling of a headache, for it seemed with every passing day that she had less and less of an idea of who—or even what—she was or had been. Aside from simply being confusing as all hell, the notion alone that she didn't fully understand herself as well as she thought she had was quite frightening.

_I doubt I can call upon my so-called 'companions' to help resolve this identity crisis either._ Ironic, considering how much they all had in common, and she wasn't talking about just her siblings: the brothers themselves, as much as she hated to admit it, truly did seem to share a lot of similarities between herself, Raide, and Aurei. They were all 'perversions of nature', as Yazoo had so delightfully put it. Then again, he and Loz appeared to have embraced their status as freaks; so had Raide, it seemed.

As she had always thought, only Aurei appeared to be the only one who wasn't so genial towards her powers, skilled and capable though she was with them. Though it had never really struck Kallie before, now that she was thinking about it, Aurei never really had appeared too excited or proud about being in possession of such incredible abilities—all in all, she had or was probably caught up in the same dilemma Kallie was. Yet, her sister was still the last person she would go to for advice on this problem, for she knew all she would get was depressing, disheartening information, some stark truth about the harmful side effects their materia would eventually bring. No, all Kallie was hoping for was reassurance, someone to finally give her some clarity, some true peace of mind…

_But reality just doesn't work that way, does it?_

Strangely enough, however, Kallie unexpectedly found herself thinking of the enigmatic voice that had spoken to her on only two occasions, and yet still had had a tremendous impact on her life. Had it not come to her within that dream, she might not have ever believed that Loz and Yazoo were the allies that she needed, much less realize that their brother, Kadaj, had any significance to her journey. Had it not spoken to her in the Mythril Mines, in her most desperate moment, she probably would have never found a way out—she might even have wound up in the hands of the Turks.

_I didn't, though, all thanks to you…_ And yet, she had no idea who the hell this voice could belong to. He had never breathed so much as a word of his identity—not even a name or a title, only that he would always be there to guide her whenever she needed him the most. So far, he had sure lived up to that promise. As long as he managed to get her out of the stickiest situations, that was all that mattered, right?

_So far, he's the only one who's told me I could have faith in myself._ Even more than that, he had actually said that he placed his faith in _her_—not even her mentor of a sister had said anything like that to her. Could he be the reassurance that she needed, to know that it was all right to trust her materia and the powers it granted her? That was all she needed to know, that everything was going to be okay in the end.

_It will be… won't it?_

As she expected, though, no response came forth. No matter how much she cleared her consciousness, attempting to beckon forth that voice again, there was nothing. It might seem for the better, given she had always heard that hearing voices in one's head was never a good thing, but a gut feeling told her that he just might be the only one to grant her that clarity. Something told her he just might well know who or what she was, let alone what her purpose was, yet he had his own reasons for withholding that information. He only appeared to speak to her whenever she needed him most, after all.

_And I suppose that __**now**__ wouldn't be that kind of time._

Sighing, Kallie rolled back over, folding her hands behind her head. No sooner than she did that than she gave a start, upon having been stricken by a sudden realization. There _was_ someone out there who could possibly tell her all that she needed to know; if no one else would, there was someone who could give her the clarity she was seeking… Only, this very person was the last person she would ever want to meet.

_Raide's boss—the one who told him to kidnap May, and then set up the Turks to capture __**me**__._ _Only, I still don't understand why…_

It all had to be because of her materia, there was no question about that, yet _what_ exactly was so special about it? There had to be a pretty good damn reason, especially one that set her apart from her siblings as a target, but just _what?_ Would Raide's boss happen to know whose memories she possessed? Would she know where her materia had come from? Hell, would she even know exactly how the materia had come to be fused with her body in the first place? Deep down, she had a gut feeling all of that had to do with why Raide's boss wanted her alive.

_Although, that means I'll have to be even more cautious about what she tells me…_

For all Kallie knew, this mysterious woman could warp the truth in ways to convince her to turn herself in or something of that nature—she would undoubtedly use Kallie's ignorance against her, if she was as conniving and wise as Kallie presumed her to be. Still, she at least would have the always informative Aurei—and possibly even Raide, as long as he wasn't going to be a douche—to help her distinguish between fact and fiction. If that woman had the answers she was looking for, though, then Kallie was going to pull out all the stops to finally get them. Getting those answers was all that she cared about.

_And May too… Always May._

With her thoughts settling back on her still-missing cousin for the umpteenth time that night, Kallie closed her eyes as regret and bitterness swept through her once more. To think that she had been that close, that _damn_ close, to having rescued her cousin today was almost too much for her to bear. Before today, she had even _dreamed_ of holding May comfortingly in her arms, with the reassurance that she was going to be all right and was somewhere safe. As long as Kallie knew that, that was all that mattered to her—but, no matter whatever the hell Raide told her, she didn't know that. She didn't have that reassurance.

_If Raide was lying to me that she'd be okay, then he'll truly be in a world of hurt._ So would his boss, if she ever ended up having harmed May or took advantage of her in any way, regardless whether or not May did have special powers or some bullshit like that. It didn't matter how strong or powerful this woman might be—Kallie _was_ going to find a way to make her pay for all that she had done.

_And nothing will get in between us again, May. I promise you that._ That was what she had promised Uncle during his last moments alive.

_I __**will**__ keep my promises. I have to._

As her determined, willful thoughts began to turn themselves over more and more inside her head, however, the contented sleepiness that had been residing over her had begun to turn into an agitated restlessness. Though the urgent desire to fall asleep still had a hold over her, she was also becoming impatient for the morning to come so she could embark on her journey again, her mission to rescue May. More and more, she became anxious to know how her cousin was doing, if she was hurt, if she was scared—most of all, _what_ Raide's boss wanted with May in the first place.

_Whatever it is, May… Please, I don't want you to end up like me. I don't want you to go through the same crap I've had to endure._

Yet thankfully, before Kallie could lose hope that, even tonight, she would wind up having gotten minimal sleep, she thought of something that just might help. Immediately rolling out of bed and onto her feet, she covered the short distance to her bag on the chair in only a few steps and opened it up, pulling out May's beloved moogle doll she had been stashing away all this time. Through thick and thin, despite all that he had been through on her journey, Mog had been safe inside her backpack, looking as pristine and innocent as he had always been.

_Just like you, May…_ She had been through a lot too, but she was going to be all right, wasn't she?

Holding Mog before her in one hand, Kallie looked him over one more time before suddenly hugging him to her chest, embracing him as if he himself was her missing cousin. She kept holding him like that all the way to the bed, flopping down upon it and crawling underneath the covers. It seemed like a childish thing to do, perhaps, for Kallie couldn't even remember the last time she had slept with a stuffed animal, if she ever had, but tonight would be the exception.

Maybe Mog could be nowhere near a replacement for her cousin, yet she still somehow felt a connection through him to May. To cuddle Mog like this was comforting to her, and maybe, just maybe, wherever May could be right now, that comfort could reach her too. Even if it was simply a wistful notion, it nevertheless was very reminiscent of the night after Uncle had passed away, letting May sleep with her in her bed. They remained huddled together as the young girl cried herself to sleep, with Kallie whispering the best words of reassurance she could muster.

_It'll be all right, May. _That was what she wished she could be saying to May right now. _We'll make it through this, I promise you._

_I promise._

**

* * *

**

Miraculously, against all of Kallie's expectations, her idea actually seemed to be working. Even amidst May's fear, the terrible anxieties that plagued her heart and kept her from getting the peaceful rest she needed as she lay on the bed in the ferry, almost spontaneously, something warm seemed to blossom within her chest. It was certainly alarming at first, for it was not unlike earlier when the woman had 'injected' those feelings of comfort into her.

Except, somehow, this felt different. It actually felt like a genuine sentiment rather than something that was synthetic, something that May _knew_ she had felt before, and which alone became comforting simply in its recognition. Not to mention that it truly felt as if that someone she loved was right next to her; the sensation of Daddy's presence had been vague and fleeting, yet the notion that her cousin lay beside her was so tangible, it really felt as though that if she were to open her eyes, she would see Kallie there.

In fact, for a few brief moments when she first felt the sensation, May actually did open her eyes, though even when she saw no one there, the feeling did not leave her. Yet, it wasn't like she was about to let it leave either, for whether it was real or not, it was the closest she had ever come to being in her sister's presence for the longest time.

_Kallie…_

What did strike May most powerfully of all, though, was how much it, too, reminded her of the night following Daddy's death, as he had died earlier that afternoon. The rest of the day, not only had it been difficult for her to stem the flow of tears, she had barely left Kallie's arms either. Even once bedtime had come, May could not stand to sleep by herself, though she could not recall if she had actually wanted to sleep or not. She couldn't remember wanting food or sleep or anything else, for that matter.

Regardless, all that she remembered was that, even though she had hardly left Kallie's side all day, Kallie still didn't refuse her then. If anything, she held May even closer and more securely than she ever had before, murmuring words and sounds of reassurance to her all night, until at last she had cried herself to sleep. Yet, though those long hours of huddling together had become blurred in her memory, May could never forget that, before she had fallen sleep, she was sure her cousin had let loose a few tears of her own.

Though it had been the first night in years when they had shared a bed, and they had not slept together again like that in the past two months, never had the strength of their relationship as siblings been more prominent. May had known for certain then that her cousin loved her, and she, in turn, loved Kallie just as much.

_I know, Kallie…_ Even now, May thought she could hear Kallie whispering to her again. _Everything's gonna be all right… We'll be together again, I just know it._

Whether or not the sensation had been genuine, or simply a hallucination, May had at last been able to fall asleep, just like she had then. The entire time, however, she remained unaware of the woman's watchful gaze, intently eying her every subtle movement until she had fallen asleep, for she had been able to sense every little emotion May had been experiencing. As if taking some enigmatic satisfaction in what she had observed, the woman smiled before looking out towards the near pitch blackness of the sea outside, allowing the young girl to have her rest.

That was not all, however: the woman then lowered her head, her body becoming completely stock still, before beginning to shimmer with a blue-white aura.

**

* * *

**

Though Loz himself was far from knowing exactly what any sort of normalcy was, he knew that today had certainly been the strangest day of his life so far. From having been reunited with Yazoo and Kallie, to becoming a stowaway on an airship and arriving here in Junon, meeting Mother at last, and finally encountering the strange girl who had turned out to be Kallie's friend. Nothing that he ever would have been able to anticipate had happened today, to say the least.

Yet, compared to all else that had happened today, meeting Mother at last was certainly the most significant event of all. After all, it had been because of that blessed meeting that the meaning of their journey, their mission, seemed so much more different now to Loz. They had found Mother, they had met her, just as they had wanted from the very beginning… but now that they had, everything seemed to have changed, in a way that Loz couldn't quite put his finger on.

He wasn't quite sure if he ever would understand it; he had been pondering it all day and still didn't have a clue. It wasn't as if he had ever been good at figuring these things out anyway. Given he and Yazoo were often in similar situations, the whole contemplation stuff was something he usually left to him. This time around, however, Loz was getting the sense that even his usually analytical brother was unable to make heads or tails of their current situation. Ironically enough, meeting Mother at last seemed to have upended everything for them.

_Mother…_

The image of Mother's beautiful visage would not leave his mind; now that he at last knew what she looked like, it was suddenly so much easier to think of her. Recalling her face over and over again filled him with even more reverence than usual as he sat upon the roof of the building where Kallie was staying with her friend, leaning up against one of the many unnamable metal contraptions constructed there. He was looking up towards what could be seen of the starry sky through the scattered clouds, breathing in the salty air that was blowing in from the ocean. His brother stood nearby, though appeared nowhere near as relaxed as he was, even as he gazed rather absentmindedly across the rooftops of Junon.

Though Loz couldn't exactly say that he had ever seen Yazoo at ease, given the constant urgency of their mission, he seemed especially pensive at the moment. No matter how much Loz had attempted to talk to him this evening, he would only brush him off with a few offhanded words before returning to his contemplative state, until Loz had at last decided to let it go. After all, he had learned long ago that if his brother didn't feel like speaking, then it was truly pointless to try and get anything out of him.

_If only I could talk to Aurei, Kallie, or her friend…_ Yet, Aurei had given them specific orders to stay away from any of the siblings tonight, since they would all be staying in residences with other civilians, and thus there would be no way for the brothers to see any of them during that time without the risk of being detected.

That being said, however, Aurei had still asked for them to remain close by in case of an emergency, specifically in the vicinity of where Kallie would be staying. Despite her sister's prowess and likeliness in being to defend herself, she still expressed a clear concern about how vulnerable Kallie still was—especially since she was the one whom Raide's boss had a clear interest in capturing for unknown reasons. Raide had attempted to assure Aurei that his boss most likely wouldn't be pulling any such stunts tonight, though Aurei remained unconvinced of her brother's honesty.

"Just sayin', though…" Raide had said to them quite haughtily. "If my boss _is_ plannin' to pull any stunts tonight, it wouldn't make a difference if ya guys were there or not, cuz chances are she'd _easily_ kick both your asses."

Loz had known Raide for only a short while, and already even he disliked the half-brother. Kadaj had been a meanie, and Yazoo was certainly a meanie as well, yet Raide had easily surpassed all of that in only a short matter of time. His harsh, disrespectful words towards Yazoo had been one thing, but his 'pretend' attempt to harm Kallie had already crossed the line in Loz's book; he hadn't had much of an opinion on the half-brother before, but he certainly did now.

_But, Mother asked us to be allies with him too…_ That didn't mean that he had to actually get along with him, though, right? But, wouldn't Mother be displeased with him if he didn't? Well, maybe, hopefully, things would get better between them. It had with Kallie, after all, and to think that he hadn't trusted her before just because Yazoo hadn't!

_But, Raide was our enemy before, wasn't he?_ Wasn't he the one who had kidnapped May and led Kallie out on this journey in the first place? In fact, wasn't he _still_ with the enemy? That was actually one of the things that Loz had been trying to ask Yazoo about, and while he had gotten a response, Loz wasn't quite sure if it had been helpful or not:

"Regardless of what Raide's previous or even current affiliation may be, he is our ally now. Mother reassured us of that."

Had she, though? Even Loz had come to question that, for even he had been able to tell that was something Yazoo had been attempting to convince himself of, rather than Loz. That was probably among the many things that were bothering Yazoo so much right now, although Loz would probably never guess that Kallie's friend, the girl he felt such a strange attraction to, was just another one of Yazoo's problems. He hadn't experienced what Yazoo had, after all; even if he had noticed that Yazoo had stopped dead in his tracks, the truth was that he had never told Loz what had happened, for Yazoo himself was still unsure what to make of that incident…

Either way, though, it might not have changed Loz's opinion on the girl—the name was Meryl, right? He had never really reflected on other people's names before, but it truly was a rather… nice name. There might be a better word for it, just like when he had attempted to describe the chocobo charm on her necklace, but somehow he just couldn't think of it.

Overall, he couldn't really describe at all what he felt towards Meryl; he couldn't even explain to himself why he had taken such a liking to her, even before learning that she was Kallie's close friend. When he had first seen Meryl, teetering before them before collapsing, unconscious, to the ground, Loz just hadn't been able to leave her. He knew Yazoo would have had it in him to abandon her, just as he did with every helpless individual he deemed as worthless, yet Loz had chosen otherwise.

Loz really didn't know if he would have possessed the nerve before, prior to this journey that had slowly begun to change him, but… now, he knew for sure he didn't. Rather than being repulsed as Yazoo had been, he had been compelled to help her; it had almost been without thinking that he had picked up the girl in his arms, even if the circumstances of her appearance had been strange, even if he had no idea how he could help her or do anything about her condition. When his brother had reacted with surprise and displeasure, it had been such an unconscious action he hadn't known what to tell Yazoo at all…

_I helped somebody out, somebody I didn't even know… That's not a wrong thing to do, isn't it?_

Deep down, though, having helped her out had felt… _good_ to him. To see her gladness, her appreciation for his act of kindness, it made him light up on the inside whenever he remembered it. There was no other way to put it, but it made Loz _happy_ to have done that for her. In some ways, he actually regretted that they would be leaving in the morning, because he had a feeling he wouldn't get to see the girl again before they left for Gongaga. When he thought of that calm, gentle expression, her amiable and kind words, Loz could not help but feel immensely sad at the possibility of never being able to see her again. In truth, it wasn't unlike how he felt about Mother…

_Except, I __**know**__ I will see her again._ Mother was the only certainty he had ever had in his life, the reassuring certainty that she would always be around to help guide his and Yazoo's way. If he ever lost that, he didn't know where he would turn…

"Yazoo?" he then suddenly spoke up. Even though he well knew he shouldn't bother Yazoo at a time like this, he could not get the sudden question off his mind. "Yazoo… when's Mother gonna talk to us again, you think?"

Then again, since he had brought up the subject of Mother, maybe that would break Yazoo out of his brooding state. He had hardly reacted at all the first time Loz had said his name, although Loz was dismayed that he remained the same even at the mention of Mother, save for a slight turn of the head. What was even more dismaying was Yazoo's abrupt, curt answer.

"I have no idea."

While he turned away again, however, Loz wasn't about to give up that easily.

"It'll be soon, won't it?"

"As soon as she regains her strength, most likely," Yazoo responded, just as curtly. "She did use most of her power in repairing our uniforms, as well as returning Duel Hound to you. It may be a while before she regains enough energy to speak to us again. Does that reassure you?"

"Yeah…" Loz replied, though only half-heartedly, and Yazoo could tell, at which he sighed.

"Don't tell me that you've lost faith in Mother, Loz. Did she not promise us that she _will_ restore herself to her former power?"

"Yeah…" he responded again, though more sheepishly this time. "Why're you so mad, Yazoo? Something bothering you?"

"…Of course not."

This time, however, Loz could tell that his brother was lying, though he wasn't about to push him for the truth. He had learned well enough by now that if Yazoo didn't want to tell him about something, then he simply wasn't going to tell. Still, if there was something that was making his brother feel troubled, then that was going to make Loz unsettled too… In some ways, he wondered if Yazoo actually wanted to tell someone about what he was thinking, but simply couldn't work enough past his pride to do so.

What _could_ be bothering him? Was it something Mother had said? She had laid out everything perfectly clear for them both, hadn't she? They were to continue journeying with the siblings in order to find out more about the materia they possessed. Could it be that, maybe? She _had_ said that they were abominations that the Planet sought to destroy, which Loz admitted he had been shocked to hear about, although he had accepted that truth. In fact, he felt an even greater sense of comradeship towards them, knowing that they indeed shared a common enemy. Had Yazoo been bothered by that? Or, was it…?

"Yazoo… don't you want Kadaj to come back?"

He should have been able to tell from the beginning that that was it. Certainly, if anything or anyone had been able to get under Yazoo's skin from the very start of their journey—and he meant even since their origin in the Northern Cave, it had been Kadaj. Even Loz had been able to tell that it hadn't taken long before the way Kadaj treated them, as well as the orders he would give them, would begin to anger Yazoo.

Though Loz had never minded acting as a subordinate, apparently Sephiroth's will to dominate hadn't been imparted to Kadaj alone—except, it was he who Mother had made their leader. Although Kadaj's passing had filled Loz with grief, with Yazoo it seemed to have brought a sense of relief, to no longer have to be suppressed by Kadaj's leadership. Even Loz understood how that must feel; despite the fact Yazoo had never exactly told him how it had affected, he had been able to see the torment in his eyes…

But, with Kadaj being brought back to life, would that breath of freedom be abruptly smothered? Or, would Kadaj have been rid of his role as leader, and Yazoo would have nothing to worry about? Loz couldn't tell if Yazoo had considered that possibility yet or not, but either way, he clearly wasn't pleased with Loz's inquiry.

"Does it matter if I want Kadaj to return or not? It won't, because either way, he will be returning."

It almost sounded as if Yazoo was attempting to resign himself to that fact, though could not surrender his pride enough to do so yet—if he ever could.

"But, at least it means we've got one more person on our side, right?" Loz mentioned, in the hopes that that would cheer up Yazoo at least a little bit. To his dismay, though, he hardly seemed affected.

"I suppose," was all he said to that, with hardly a shift in tone.

"Well, I'll be glad to have somebody more on our time, with all that we're up against now." They did have Raide, but with being as suspicious a character as he was, there was no telling whose side he was truly on. But Kadaj _would_ definitely be on their side, right?

"It'll be the least he can do," Yazoo said under his breath, rather unexpectedly, to himself more so than to Loz.

"He will!" Loz piped up, whether or not Yazoo found it to be an annoyance or even a reassurance.

Oddly enough, it was almost something Loz realized that Kallie would say, just to give their spirit a boost if things looked down. He really had to say, though he would not have been able to find the words before, and he still didn't quite understand it now, he knew now just how glad he was to have met her. He was glad to have met Aurei. He was so grateful for their presence; they really wouldn't have been able to make it this far without them. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to think the same of Raide…

_Because of them, this journey's gonna be a whole lot better._

He had never considered it before as deeply as he did now, but for the first time Loz thought of everything that would make this journey so much better than before, and to do so made him smile. They had finally met Mother and had been given a new mission; they knew for sure now that she would find a way to regain her power. Their uniforms had been restored, and he at last had his Duel Hound back, when he thought that it had been lost to him forever. They knew for sure now that they could trust the siblings to be their allies, and what powerful allies they would be! Certainly, nothing could stand in their way thanks to them—they wouldn't have made it this far without them. They might be up against W.R.O., the Turks, and that mysterious boss of Raide's, but while Loz anticipated having to face them in combat once more, he wasn't afraid or intimidated. In fact, he had to say… right now, he felt invincible. What a wonderful sense of security that was.

As ever, however, these wonderful feelings were not to last. His reverie was abruptly interrupted with but the lone sound of a door handle jingling, followed by the creaky opening of that door, before it closed with a bang. Immediately, Loz sprung to his feet, following his brother's actions as they both ducked behind one of the structures on the roof. They had been prepared for the possibility of a complete stranger, someone they didn't want to detect them, coming up to the roof, yet it was also quite probable that it would be Kallie paying a visit, as Aurei would have likely told her they would be up here.

In attempting to determine the person's identity, however, quietly listening to what they could of the individual's every movements, they were somewhat disquieted at being unable to discern anything at all, even in spite of their acute hearing. If it just one of the residents living here, they probably wouldn't be taking any measures to silence their movements, being unsuspecting of anyone up here. If it was Kallie, the only reason she would be up here would be looking for them, and she would be likely asking for their presence.

Yet, this individual… they were being unsettlingly quiet, stealthy enough to outsmart even their tuned senses. Although, it wasn't long before that person suddenly spoke, and it was then they were simply astonished.

"Yazoo, Loz, there is no need to hide. I know that you are both here."

They looked at each other, incredulously. They knew that voice, they had heard it enough to recognize who it belonged it. But, familiar though it was, it was just as changed and different—unsettlingly different, more powerful and authoritative than they thought it could possibly be.

It just couldn't be, though, could it…?

"Come on out. Now."

Against their will, it felt like, they obeyed. With what felt like a great effort, they pulled themselves away from their hiding spot, stepping out into the open and facing this individual. Once they did, they both took a step back in their utter amazement and disbelief, for even though they had recognized that voice, this was the last person they would have expected it to belong to.

"_You…?_"

**

* * *

**

_CLIFFHANGER. It feels like I haven't had one of those in a while, hee hee. Even though I'm pretty sure I might have ended the last chapter on a cliffhanger, but not as intense as this one I'm sure, eh?_

_Anyhoo, while I did mention that there is one more chapter I am planning to release, I am also planning to release a little something after that… A thirty-third chapter, to be specific, except that it'll probably be only a quarter of what my chapters usually are, and I will hopefully release it by the end of January 2011! Which means, if I didn't make it clear enough, __Embers__ will finally be completed by the end of next month! And after that, I am definitely taking a break… Not sure for how long, but certainly not too long, like a couple of months or so depending on how Life's treating me._

_So yeah! Hope you guys didn't mind the somewhat extensive hiatus between chapters, and I do hope to be hearing from you guys. And once again, WE'RE ALMOST DONE HERE. :-D_


	32. Sunrise

_Omigod, everybody. HI. IT'S ME. I'M BACK. I'M STILL ALIVE. I FINALLY UPDATED ILLUSORY FLAME._

_It only didn't take me like a YEAR to do so. Holy crap, I feel so lame for having let it slip for this long. I'm really not sure what happened—no wait, I do know what happened, LIFE HAPPENED. Sucky life happened, to be more specific. I cannot stress how stressful this past year has been. I really can't talk about all that's happened because so much has happened, but I am turning into a busy person, to say the least. And sadly, that meant having to sacrifice time to work on other things, and that happened to be sacrificing the time to work on the last chapter. _

_Plain and simple, I just haven't had the time to work on Illusory Flame. Although, the other issue has also been that my motivation to work on it has been slipping again, and it's just been very hard to focus on writing as of late. HOWEVER, that does not mean I am giving up on Illusory Flame just yet! I stand by my determination to see this story to the end! I just don't think I could ever let Illusory Flame go if it were left unfinished—I've lived with it for far too long to let that happen._

_There is much more to say about the future of Illusory Flame, but for now, I think it's time I left you to finally read this chapter. So, just about a year to the day since the very last update, it's time to finally see the conclusion to IllusoryFlame:Embers!_

_Even so, it's not quite the end…_

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Chapter 32**

_Sunrise_

"This is really gonna work… right?"

"Whatever we do with him, it'll be a gamble either way."

"Yeah, I guess… The Planet did want us to do this, so maybe that means the odds are in our favor."

"We might as well take the bet!" Looking up from their charge, Aerith smiled at her companion. "The Planet sure might be cryptic and simply hard to understand sometimes, but it's never led me astray before."

Though Zack nodded in agreement, he still didn't appear entirely convinced and said nothing more, merely continuing to gaze down at Kadaj with anxious concern. Off and on again, he had been uncertain about reviving Kadaj, uneasy about the high possibility of something going dreadfully wrong and having to suffer the consequences, whatever they might be. If she was going to compare this to gambling, then they might as well be going all in, throwing in that wild card because it was the only option they had left if they didn't want to lose.

They could keep Kadaj here, yes, but how many more attacks from Sephiroth could they possibly withstand? It was due to that she was sure Kadaj's resurrection was to be the better option…

"We'll still be able to keep an eye on him, remember," she said to Zack, in a whole-hearted attempt to assuage his anxiety. "We just… won't be able to help him out as much, but he'll be able to take care of himself! He'll be weak when he wakes up, but he'll regain his strength before long."

Zack nodded again, though still appeared worried. "You know, Aerith… This has never been attempted before, right? Actually bringing someone back from the dead? We _kinda_ did that with Cloud, but he wasn't actually fully dead at that point. We just pulled his spirit and body from the explosion before it could do any real damage."

"That's right, Zack! Not to mention Kadaj is a special case because he was never fully assimilated by the Lifestream—at that point, no one could ever have a chance of being brought back to life. Not to mention that Kadaj never really had a 'physical' body to begin with—he was always made entirely out of spirit matter to begin with. Revival shouldn't be a problem at all for him!"

"Yeah, and he's not gonna revert back to his old ways, right?" Zack gave her a sidelong glance. "You know that's what I'm most about worried about."

"That is the biggest part of the gamble here," Aerith admitted. "We don't know at all if he'll remember anything of what he spent here in the Lifestream, and he just might go back to being the Kadaj he was before. But, personally…" She winked at Zack nevertheless. "I don't think so. I think… it was meant to be this way."

"If you say so." Aerith was glad, though, to see that his expression had relaxed. "You're right… we have no choice but to believe that this will work. We have to place all the hope we can into this decision."

"That's the spirit!" she responded, beaming brightly at him, touching his arm to convey her deep appreciation. "But, really, Zack… I wouldn't begin unless you really _are_ approving this idea."

"Don't worry, Aerith." He finally smiled at her. "I am."

"Then let's get this show on the road!"

With Zack's reassurance at her side, Aerith breathed in deeply before approaching Kadaj and slowly leaning over him, speaking as softly—yet confidently—as she could.

"Kadaj… can you hear me?"

The silver-haired boy before her stirred; she could sense his immense happiness at having heard whom he presumed to be 'Mother'.

"Yes, Mother…" came his weak, feeble whisper.

Aerith knew then that was her big moment. She positively had to do her best not to falter. She could not let on that she was only pretending to be 'Mother'. Over and over again, she had rehearsed exactly what she would say to him, if they did decide to revive him… She had to make sure that, once he regained his senses in the real world, he would not suspect that she really wasn't 'Mother'. Besides that, she had to convince him that he had a new mission, one that was the reason for having been brought back to life.

_And I must pray that the real 'Mother' won't interfere._

But she could only pray that wouldn't come to pass.

"Kadaj, you must listen to me." She tried to assume a loving, yet authoritative voice, one that his Mother might truly possess. "I am beyond happy to have been reunited with you… if only for a short while. I fear that… our time together must come to an end. For now."

Even as she told him that, however, Aerith could not help but be dismayed at the utter despair and terror that wracked Kadaj's consciousness. She had known he would not accept even the slightest indication that they hard to part ways, even if only temporarily.

"Mother, no…" He simply refused to believe it.

"It pains me also to have to part from you, Kadaj." She had to convince him as best she could; she could _not_ falter. "But, it is for something very important, something that you must do for me. Do you understand?"

He did not respond then, and Aerith knew then that she had to do her best to decipher the answer for herself from his consciousness, which was much easier said than done. The boy might be too weak to say much, yet his consciousness was simply a maelstrom, tattered by tumultuous emotions, thoughts, and memories, clashing like great torrents that she thought she would never see in a single person's mind. There were times that the storm would subside and he would be at peace, particularly whenever she happened to be close, but even then she knew that, tragically, Kadaj's mind still would not find rest.

That was just another good reason he was being brought back, she thought. In spite of all the protection that they would give him, it still might be an inevitability that Kadaj's volatile consciousness would leave him wide open, and then they would only be able to watch helplessly as Sephiroth freely reclaimed him as his own. Even the simple thought of it made her shudder.

Thankfully, Kadaj chose to listen and understand what she had to say. She was 'Mother' to him, after all. Even now, he was almost selflessly devoted to her. Would that change once he returned to the living world?

"You must go back to the world of the living," Aerith said to him. "Your mission there is still not complete. You must find your brothers, Loz and Yazoo, and continue to aid them, as well as their new companions."

"But… our mission failed, Mother…"

"No, it has not," she told him firmly. "You still have a purpose to serve, Kadaj. You still have another chance, and you _must_ go back. Do you understand?"

"Mother…" He knew what it meant. "I… don't want to… leave you… I…"

"I don't want you to, either, but… if you are to do this, you _must_, Kadaj. I am giving you this second chance."

Kadaj hesitated still, yet she could tell he was considering it, and she had to push forward while she had the opportunity—even if she loathed what she was about to tell him.

"If you can succeed, Kadaj… then we can truly be together. If you are able to do this, then nothing will be able to keep us apart."

It was something she hated to say to him, because it would more than likely turn out to be a lie. More than likely, he would never actually be able to be with his 'mother' again, whether it happened to be her or Jenova… Tragically, it was that lie that did the job.

"We… can?"

"…Yes." Aerith leaned over him, gazing at him earnestly regardless of whether or not he could see her. "Will you do this for me, Kadaj?"

While she did not want to outright promise him—it felt practically sinful of her to do so, at least she did not have to say that for him to believe her. All it had taken was her assurance that they would be reunited again.

"I… will."

The moment was so monumental, to hear him agree to her request, she and Zack just might have jumped for joy—if only they were in any less of a solemn, serious situation. Nevertheless, Kadaj's response had elated her enough that, even if she was breaking out of the 'Mother' character, she had to ask, just to be sure:

"Y-you will? You'll return to the surface?"

"I do, Mother…"

"You… are to reunite with your brothers, for you won't be able to do this without their help. You remember them, right?"

"Loz… Yazoo…"

"Yes, that's right." The fact that his memory hadn't seemed to have been affected was a huge relief indeed, otherwise that would've caused them problems for sure. "You're to find them, and I will guide you as best as I can. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Then… it's settled." Glancing up at Zack, he nodded to her, indicating that he was ready for the process to begin. "It's time to send you back."

As she raised her hands to hover over him, however, a strange sense of reluctance came over her, though one she had expected. Having cared for Kadaj all this time had made her realize her forlorn desire to have her own children someday, a reality which would sadly never come to be. While it felt as though she cared for hundreds of children every day, with all the souls that surrounded her, none of them had ever come as close as Kadaj had. It really could be the one time in her life she would become a mother… Perhaps her role hadn't been so misleading after all.

Woefully, she said to him, "Goodbye, Kadaj."

With that, Aerith reached out with all her strength, calling upon the essence of the Lifestream itself. Bright light suddenly burst in holy rays around Kadaj, consuming the silver-haired boy's form as the green tendrils wrapped around him, pulling him through an opening in the dark void she had created. On cue, Zack whizzed past her, dashing alongside Kadaj's spirit, still protected by her divine power, ensuring the boy's safety to the end of his journey back to the surface.

It was a plan that they knew they would need: it was no surprise when that great mass of powerful darkness swooped down upon their charge like a vigilant hawk. Just as they had expected, Sephiroth would make one last ditch attempt to reclaim his dear remnant, and his malicious intent was far more ferocious than ever before. Already, Aerith could feel his dark power assailing the holy shell she had placed around Kadaj, yet she pushed back with all of her strength, determinedly giving the villain a taste of her own power.

She was more than grateful that Zack could also be there to defend the helpless boy. Especially once Kadaj became further and further away from her, and it became much more difficult to retain the shell, it was a great relief to have Zack there to directly attack Sephiroth, keeping the nebulous shadow at bay to help her concentrate solely on guiding Kadaj to his ultimate destination. Teamwork had never been so vital, for failure was not an option; should either of them even falter once and allow Sephiroth to steal away his prize, then hope was utterly lost.

Then, there came that terrifying moment when Aerith suddenly lost all bearings on where everyone was. It could be the possible sign that meant Kadaj had reached the other side, beyond her senses, and Zack had continued to follow for as far as he could—of course, having lost track of Sephiroth could mean he had followed as well. There was almost unbearable anxiety in Aerith's heart to know that Kadaj was without her holy protection, which could leave him fully vulnerable should there be a gap in Zack's defenses…

It felt like an eternity as she waited and waited, her breath bated, her hands clasped in silent prayer… And then, she saw that wonderfully familiar shape reemerge from the darkness, soaring straight toward her with all the speed he could muster.

"Zack!" she cried as her guardian came to a stop before her, reading his expression for an answer as she immediately asked, "Zack, did he make it? Is he okay?"

Zack's face was grim and exhausted, yet lightened as he managed a reassuring smile. "Yeah, he's fine, he's just fine. Aerith, your idea worked, he made it!"

It had been so long since she had heard such assuaging news, so much so that Aerith threw herself into Zack's arms, overcome with a mixture of immense, joyful relief and sudden fatigue—she might have fallen to her knees otherwise. Though weary from his own efforts, he caught her in his embrace, reciprocating her overwhelmed sentiments. Once that fleeting moment of enervation had passed, however, all turned to exuberance over their success, and Aerith suddenly felt as though she had to hold on for dear life as Zack whirled her around, both of them laughing in their delighted triumph.

"It worked…" Aerith whispered excitedly into his shoulder once he had set her down. "It worked, I can't believe it actually worked…"

"Be proud, Aerith. You've just proved resurrection is possible."

Aerith looked up at Zack with a warming smile. "Don't make me take all the credit, Zack. You know it wouldn't have been possible without your help, especially once Kadaj crossed to the other side and I lost track of him… Say, what did happen to Sephiroth? I lost track of him too."

"He tried to follow Kadaj, but for some reason it looked like he couldn't at all. The moment we got to the border, it was like he hit a wall and disappeared. I'm pretty damn sure he didn't pass through, I know he didn't or else I would have seen something. Why do you think he couldn't?"

"He was probably too weak, just as I suspected. After all, he would need something like Kadaj as a vessel in order to so much as materialize in a physical form."

Zack breathed a sigh of relief. "Now that's what I like to hear. Hopefully Sephiroth's not gonna try and keep making trouble for us."

"He'll keep trying, definitely, but never succeed."

That made Zack grin, and Aerith gave a surprised laugh when he suddenly pulled her tightly back into his arms. "Well, with no more Sephiroth to bother us, I'm finally getting to spend some quality time with my girl again."

"Zack!" She giggled, but did not protest. Indeed, she felt very much the same about her guardian—she savored and returned that moment of affection for all it was worth, a just reward for all that they had accomplished today.

Sadly, though, such moments could only last for so long in times like these. Kadaj might have made it safely to the physical world, but that didn't mean their work ended there. Aerith had made a promise, after all.

"I wonder if he's awake yet…" Aerith murmured. "I remember it took a while for Cloud to wake up when we sent him back."

"Yeah… We should check on him now, he should be completely vitalized by now. Would be worth it to see where he ended up, too—hopefully not someplace like in the middle of Edge."

Aerith chuckled. "I highly doubt it, but yes, let's see."

Aerith called upon the Lifestream again, though only a little effort was needed this time to make a portion of the green energy rise and morph into a spherical shape before. This orb here was her one and only window to the world outside, though it was all she had needed to keep an eye on Cloud, Tifa, and all of her friends whom she had departed from, to observe the actions of the remnants and their materia-bearing companions, and to track the movements of that elusive Cetra ghost who could somehow walk the Planet again… All it took was a recollection of that individual, just a simple thought, and she would have the insight she needed.

Moments passed, and then the vision she desired swam into view, Zack watching from beside her as well. It hardly took a second to discern where Kadaj had wound up, and the couple both did a double take.

"He ended up… _there?_" Zack observed, incredulously. "But, that's the same place as before…"

"It is…" Aerith agreed, her brow furrowed, though not with worry. "We couldn't have asked for a better place for him to have been revived, though. It's quiet and peaceful, far out of the way where others could encounter him, and someplace he would recognize too. Yes, he'll be able to find his way."

_As long as… his former self never returns._

Watching the vision for a moment longer, Aerith reached out and placed her hand upon the orb, which resonated at her touch.

"Kadaj… good luck."

* * *

The sun had just barely begun to rise in the Sleeping Forest, painting the immaculately white trees in new pastel shades of orange, pink, and gold. It was a wondrous sight for Cloud to behold as he sat by himself on Fenrir, waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive outside for one final meeting before departing for their separate destinations. Since he had gotten only a couple more hours of sleep since his chat with Tifa the previous night, in his restlessness and eagerness, he had found himself awake in time to see the first morning light peeking through the trunks and branches of the forest. Having said that they would leave at dawn, he decided to be the first one to welcome the new day.

For the first time, however, it felt like the first sunrise he had truly welcomed in the longest time—he had never been more aware of how significant a sunrise meant to him. Today, they were going to begin their mission anew; they had a new purpose. They had information, they had clarity, they knew what they had to do now.

It felt like a long time coming, but Cloud had never felt so confident in the task that lay before him. His only wish was that confidence would not waver in the face of the challenges that had yet to come…

_No… I will **not** falter again._

There came the sound of the airship door opening, and Cloud turned to see who the next person to greet the dawn might be—he felt his heart leap a little upon seeing it was none other than Tifa emerging into the crisp morning air. She did start a little once she spotted him there, but at the same time didn't seem surprised that he would be the first one up. Their greeting was silent, but full of warmth as they exchanged a smile before Tifa walked over and leaned up against Fenrir, still without a word as they waited for the rest of the crew to awaken.

A quarter of an hour later, it seemed, there was finally more activity, and Cloud's anticipation was beginning to build even more at the prospect that they might finally be on the road soon—Tifa could feel it too, as she too started to shift somewhat anxiously. Though no one else was coming outside, Cloud could hear voices and people moving around inside of the airship; he wondered if anyone would figure out he was out here or if he should go inside and let someone like Cid know he was ready to get going. Not a minute later, the door to the airship opened once again, and a crew member came jogging out. She glanced about before spotting Cloud and Tifa, and then shouted back through the door:

"Captain! They're waiting out here, sir!"

"Doggone it, Cloud!" came the familiar barking voice. "An' here I'd thought you'd be jumpin' the gun, leavin' the rest of us in the dust before we'd even get a chance to lay a finger on those rats!"

"You'll get your chance soon enough, don't worry about that," Cloud reassured Cid amusedly as the pilot came strolling out onto the ramp, usual cigarette clenched in his teeth, dismissing the crew member with a nod of his head. "But, I am ready to get this over with."

"As're we all, damn it! The sooner we get this damn remnant business over with, the sooner I can finally get some sweet R and R with Shera like I keep promisin' her. They're gonna pay for makin' her wait on me like this!" After another usual puff of his cigarette, Cid then shouted back into the airship, "Hey, if y'all wanna say goodbye to Cloud and Tifa before they take off for Healin, better get yer asses out here, 'cuz we're having lift-off in ten minutes sharp!"

That certainly brought about a commotion inside the airship, and in response, Cloud could suddenly hear the voices of most of his comrades from within, most notably Barret and Yuffie. It didn't take long before, one by one, the members of AVALANCHE came strolling out to say their farewells—seeing them all here like this reminded Cloud of just how thankful he truly was to have his friends by his side for this mission… First was Barret, with Yuffie at his heels, who had unsuccessfully been trying to get ahead of him the whole while, then Cait Sith shortly after, although it seemed like it was going to be a while before Vincent was going to show up—if he would at all.

"Yer gonna be tryin' to get some info from Shinra, right, Spiky? For Marlene's sake if nothin' else ya'd better make the sneaky two-timer talk! We've all got a bone to pick for misleadin' us like he did!"

"No guarantees he'll tell us anything, but regardless, I'll be sure to give him a piece of everyone's mind, Barret."

"Are you _sure_ you wanna go with him, Tifa?" Yuffie was making her last ditch-attempt to get them to trade places. "You _were_ with Cloud all the way here, y'know. Don't you think—?"

"Sorry, Yuffie," Tifa told the Wutaian princess yet again. "Cloud _did_ ask me to tag along, and I think I'll be better suited for this particular task anyways. Besides, if you got to interrogating him you'd probably be bored out of your mind!"

As Yuffie strode away with a whine, denied her last chance to ditch the airship, Cait Sith came hopping over next.

"Best o' luck to both o' ya! Reeve'll be dyin' to know what the both o' ya can find out from dear ol' Shinra! He wishes I could tag along with ya, but he's got 'is hands tied with W.R.O. business, makin' sure the 'ole organization won't riot when they find out 'bout the remnants still bein' alive!"

"Best of luck to Reeve, too, then."

The light, casual conversations continued for a short while, although it was visibly underlined with anticipation, an unspoken eagerness to at last be on their way—all the while, Cloud was keenly awaiting the arrival of one last AVALANCHE member. As the allotted amount of time began to dwindle down, and Cloud suspected that Cid was going to call everyone back on board, that the cloaked gunslinger himself finally decided to join the party. He would have expected nothing less of Vincent to show up only at the last second, though he was appreciative of his company nonetheless.

"Almost thought that you weren't going to come and say goodbye," Tifa quipped cheerfully as Vincent approached them. "It could be a while before we see any of you guys again."

"But it should only be a short visit to get the information you need from Shinra, right?"

"We're not going to leave until Rufus tells us everything he knows, and who knows how long that could take?" Cloud spoke up, his expression darkening. "Also, I think Tifa means that, once we go our separate ways even if it's only a short amount of time, there's no telling what might happen to any of us."

"For all we know, we could have a freak encounter with our enemies and their newfound powers, and who knows what might come of that! It sure feels like we've got to prepare for the worst, anyways."

"You have a point," Vincent admitted. "Many strange factors have been at play in these recent events, and there could be yet more that we'll be unaware of until it's too late."

"Then we've got to make sure we'll find out everything before there's a chance of that happening," Cloud said. "Vincent, what do you think that we should all be watching out for?"

"Whatever any of us do… we should never underestimate the remnants and their allies, if they're as powerful as Aerith says they are. There's no knowing the true extent of their powers yet, so over-preparation would not be a foolish endeavor. What are your ideas, Cloud, for what we must do?"

"I've already informed Cid of this. Since we can't… destroy the remnants right now, I've figured the next best thing would be to detain them somehow. We can at least prevent them from doing any further harm until we know what we have to do to completely destroy Sephiroth."

"And their allies?"

"They'll be taken into custody for sure. If nothing else, we'll find out all we can about their powers and these mysterious materia they possess."

"Do you believe that they'll share the same fate as the remnants?"

Tifa frowned at this. "If you mean that they'll face some kind of punishment, like even the death penalty, that's just… it wouldn't be right! From all Aerith told us, they've been given no other choice but to participate in these events! They don't deserve any sort of punishment for what they've done!"

"The remnants have had no choice in the mission they were given, you realize."

"They're a part of Sephiroth himself—that's a completely different story." Cloud's eyes narrowed determinedly. "I _know_ for a fact that they're dangerous and should be taken care of as soon as possible."

"And the mysterious siblings won't turn out to be something similar?"

Before either side of the argument could further dispute the true natures of the remnants and their allies, they were spared a possibly heated debate when Cid notified everyone in his loud, commanding way that the airship was going to take flight in one minute exactly, and anyone who was even a second late was going to get left in the dust. Everyone immediately hastened on board, the members of AVALANCHE exchanging final farewells and well wishes before disappearing inside—all except for Vincent, who suddenly seemed lost in thought even as the airship's engines began to roar to life.

"You heard Cid, Vincent," Tifa called to him over the sudden uproar of volume in the normally peaceful forest. "He's gonna leave you behind if you don't get on right now!"

"I won't be left behind if I choose not to go with them in the first place."

Even as Tifa and Cloud exchanged looks of bewilderment, they weren't even given the chance to voice their surprise as Vincent continued, "I'll admit, I've been far too curious about these new revelations not to do something about them myself. I've decided to go hunting for answers in my own way. We have our means of getting in touch, but don't contact me unless it's absolutely worth my time."

With not even so much as a goodbye after all, Vincent suddenly took off into the forest, disappearing among the trees as fast as he had the night he had rescued Cloud from Kadaj's ambush. Both Cloud and Tifa could imagine the other's reactions at his abrupt and unannounced departure, probably beside themselves with confusion. Then again, they should all be used to Vincent's reclusive tendencies by now, maybe even appreciate them this time around—if it hadn't been for his solitary observations, they wouldn't even know half as they had before.

While Tifa and Cloud did share their amusement once more at how quickly Vincent disappeared, their focus soon returned to the objective at hand. The time was finally here. It was now, or never.

"Ready to go get some answers, Cloud?" Tifa asked buoyantly, once she had clambered onto the motorbike behind the spiky-haired warrior.

He returned her assuring smile. "The sooner, the better."

The roar of yet another engine coming to life joined the cacophony of machinery, surely upsetting the denizens of the Sleeping Forest even further as Cloud started Fenrir. Although the _Shera_ had yet to take off due to its massive size, neither of the riders on the motorbike were compelled enough to wait anymore—only a few moments and already Fenrir was raring to go, like the ravenous wolf of its namesake. Cloud stepped on the gas, and they were off, although not before he gave one last glance back in the direction of the Forgotten City.

_Aerith… We **will** find the answers you need. We will get to the bottom of this mystery, and then you and Zack can find the rest you deserve._

_We will succeed. I promise you._

* * *

In Healin, the rain had finally passed, and the early morning sun could shine here as well, piercing through the clouds that had plagued the area. There was still a lingering mist which, while was usual in the mornings due to the somewhat mountainous region, was even more prevalent today. Healin's sunrise looked more ethereal than Tseng had ever had the pleasure of enjoying before, and he wished he could say that it brought him some peace of mind—it did, if only somewhat.

_If only the sun could break through these clouds of doubt in my mind as well, shine some clarity onto this situation…_

So Tseng thought as he leaned on the railing just outside the door of the lodge, a halfway-burned cigarette gripped loosely between two fingers. Being up at the crack of dawn was quite usual for Tseng, as it was practically a force of habit solely from his occupation as a Turk. The cigarette he held wasn't necessarily a result of a habit, thankfully, and he certainly wasn't a regular chain-smoker like the famed Cid Highwind, although it was a vice he admittedly fell back on during times of stress or anxiety. And if there was ever a time for a smoke, it sure as hell would be now.

_The 'boss'… those godforsaken remnants… Where the hell are they? What the hell are they up to? What should **we** be doing right now?_

If only he had the answers to those few questions, then Tseng's thoughts would easily be much less turbulent than they were at the moment. Though he wanted those answers for the same reasons as everyone else, to be rid of Sephiroth and his remnants so the world could finally be at peace, Tseng especially wanted enlightenment for the sake of his comrades and superior. Never had he felt so protective of his fellow former members of the Shinra Corporation; it had been a long time coming, but once they were left on their own in the wake of Meteor's destruction and Geostigma's widespread infection, it had been then Tseng fully realized how the Turks and Rufus were like a family to him, the only family he knew he had right now.

That protectiveness had begun once Geostigma had stricken the President, and had escalated once the remnants made their assault on the Turks—nothing had terrified him more than having seen Elena tortured before his very eyes, and he had been completely helpless In those moments, it had never been more apparent to him how much this 'family' of his had meant to him, and how afraid he had been to lose any of them. When that calm had fallen with the supposed defeat of Sephiroth and his remnants, for that one peaceful week Tseng had never felt more at ease with his life.

_I __would __do __everything __in __my __power __to __have __that __peace __again__…_ If only he knew what he _could_ do right now to reclaim that peace as soon as possible.

His suppressed frustration returning in twofold, Tseng had to fight the urge to pound the railing with a fist, although upon discovering that his cigarette had burned out, he tossed it angrily down to the muddy ground below. He continued to brood for another minute or so, wondering if he should give into the urge to light another smoke to relieve the mounting stress.

"Tseng?"

Lighter in hand, Tseng just happened to have made the decision to reach for his pack of cigarettes when the door had unexpectedly opened behind him and that person had called his name. Were it anyone else, he wouldn't have thought twice about lighting up again, but knowing that the speaker was someone who certainly didn't approve of this occasional habit was enough to make Tseng reconsider.

"Good morning, Elena," he greeted his fellow Turk, surreptitiously stowing away both the lighter and the cigarette pack. "You're certainly up early."

"Earlier than I have been lately, I guess," Elena remarked as she joined him at the railing. It almost seemed as though she hadn't really meant to be up this early, still dressed in sleepwear and a bathrobe, along with her somewhat tired expression. "I got up to use the bathroom and saw your door was open, so I figured you'd be out here and… I thought you might appreciate some company."

"I do appreciate it, though rest assured I was fine by myself." Still, he could tell that there was much more to her coming out here than she wanted to let on. "You should really return to bed, Elena. Your health is much more important than my being lonely."

Elena chuckled wanly. "Not right now it isn't. I think I've just had enough rest for the past couple of days. I'm sick of being confined to this place anyway."

"Aren't we all," Tseng muttered, her comment striking at the heart of his personal dilemma, and Elena seemed to sense it.

"And that's just why I'm out here." True to form, Elena couldn't stay taciturn about her motives for long. "I know how frustrated you've been lately because we haven't heard or seen anything about the remnants and their allies since we fought them in the mines, and you just want to do _something_ about it. We're all feeling the same way, you know."

"Of course I know."

Elena obviously didn't like how easily he seemed to brush off her comment. "Tseng! I'm trying to say that it doesn't help either of us when you're brooding around like this! I… It pains me to see you like this. If maybe you'd gone with Reno and—"

"Elena, you know I can't leave you and Rufus vulnerable here. Your lives are worth much more to me than trying to find answers. I know I can rely on Reno and Rude to find the answers we need, and I feel much better knowing that you'll be safe as long as I'm here."

_Will __they, __though__…__?_ He had failed once before to protect Elena, and it had been in that moment then that he had realized how powerless he truly was.

"If only I hadn't gone and gotten my arm broken, I'd actually be of use, huh?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Tseng had noted that Elena had made to lean with her arms on the railing like he was right now, but had abruptly pulled away after having brushed her broken arm against the railing—it was probably that action which had spurred her comment. Unfortunately, she was quite right that she would be useless for the time being until her arm healed, and without the help of a materia, who knew how long that would be?

He hadn't even dared to approach her with the idea of healing her with a Cure spell, since she had been quite adamant about never using a materia again after the events of Meteor, feeling some sort of direct responsibility for what Shinra had done to the Planet. It made him wonder if Elena was regretting that decision as she stared woefully at her useless arm, although knowing her stubbornness, she was more than likely most unwilling to give up on her resolve.

"That wasn't what I meant, Elena. You know I would never consider you useless, not after all this time you've been with us Turks. Broken arm or not, I haven't lost faith in your abilities. Even as you are now… I would still trust you with my life."

As he had said those words, turning to face her with earnest, Tseng was just in time to see her stunned expression, a familiar blush creeping into her cheeks before she immediately spun the other way, her good hand over her mouth.

"Sir… Y-you really think so?"

"I do, Elena. In fact… I should have briefed you on this earlier, but if _anything_ were to happen to me, and I would be unable to assist the President, then I will leave it in your hands to ensure his safety."

"Are you—?" Elena stopped herself short then, though was apparently still too flustered to face him again. "T-thank you, Tseng. But…" As a more prevailing thought came to her, she then finally turned to look at him. "Do you… really think it might come to that? I mean, I'm not trying to doubt your decision, but do you really think we might be in that much danger?"

"…I just always try to anticipate the worst in situations like these." It was he who was now unable to look her in the eye, not wanting to convey the uneasy feelings he had about their situation. "That's just… how I am."

"Then, you should get in the habit of looking on the bright side! Remember when Meteorfall came two years ago and we all thought it was going to be the end of the world for sure when Holy failed to stop it? The Lifestream itself stopped Meteor for good! I dunno…" Elena shrank into herself sheepishly. "Maybe I'm just being too optimistic, but it just seems that if worst comes to worst, the Planet will come in to save the day again. Then again, I just… don't want to try to anticipate the worst. I don't want to even think it'll happen…"

That was what Tseng wanted to believe too. How many dire situations had he been in when he thought the end had come for sure, yet the miraculous had occurred and he could live to see another day? Too many times, that was for sure, and surely that lucky streak couldn't last—although that was just his stoical mindset speaking, hardened after all the years of training he had been through as a Turk. He did hate to be so pessimistic, but it was for the simple reason that he had been always been taught to anticipate the worst, that it was completely naïve to believe in hope when there was only a slim chance of victory.

Hence, he did rather envy Elena's constant optimism, especially after what she had been through only a few weeks ago… Just like him, she had been brought to the brink of death by those damned remnants, and yet she could still hold her head high with hope. When anyone else would have suffered severe trauma for life after such an experience, here she still stood strong, still believing that there was light somewhere on the other side of this darkness. Why couldn't he attempt the same?

Maybe, he should start getting into the habit of looking on the bright side too.

"You're right, Elena." Once again, Elena looked at him with great surprise, probably not having expected him to actually take her advice. "Always anticipating the worst is no way to live, whether the world is at stake or not. I… really should apologize for how negative I've been lately, especially after how much you've been trying to cheer me up. Your optimism is truly something I admire."

Elena's embarrassment came back full force, and she wheeled the other way yet again to hide her returning blush. "R-really, sir…? I—"

This time, seeing Elena so flustered made him smile. Her modesty, especially whenever he complimented her, was always very endearing to him. "You don't have to call me sir. I may be your superior, but I'm also your friend."

She cleared her throat hesitantly. "Y-yes, Tseng…"

"Elena…" His smile had faded, though the warmth remained as he softly placed a hand on her shoulder, and she started slightly, looking his way yet again. "I should… also explain that these dour moods… Well…"

This sort of thing was something he didn't usually share with other people, and to do so now was embarrassing even for him to admit, but he had to let her know.

"It's simply that… after all the events that have been occurring in the past two years, I've been more afraid than ever to lose those who I've grown close to. It never really hit me until recent events, but… I _do_ have much to lose if the worst did come. Especially after what we went through three weeks ago, I can't bear the possibility…" Then, the solid thought came to him and he gazed at her with fierce resolve. "No, no matter what happens, I _won__'__t_ let them hurt you again, Elena."

"Tseng…"

The astounded look in her eyes was only a small indication of the profound effect his words had had on her. Tseng certainly hadn't expected his words to have affected her so much that she suddenly embraced him. While she did not cry, she seemed overcome enough with emotion that she just might any second, yet her sentiments were that of gratitude, of gladness that he felt so strongly about their companionship.

It was true, though: of all the bonds to his comrades that had strengthened, there was no denying it was Elena he had grown the closest to, after what the remnants had put the two of them through. During that endless fortnight of torment, the knowledge that they had each other was the only thing that had helped them pull through the pain and suffering, that they would live if only to ensure the other would survive… Even now, that resolve hadn't faded, for either of them.

In the midst of that heartfelt moment, Elena sniffed, though it wasn't from being on the verge of tears as she pulled herself away from him with a suspicious eye.

"You… were smoking again, weren't you? But, I thought you quit, Tseng."

While Tseng would not have put it past Elena to spoil a tender moment like this in such a manner, he himself felt somewhat abashed when she pointed it out. So much for trying to hide from Elena the fact that he had been smoking, when she had kept urging him to quit and he had told her he was working on it.

"I've been cutting back, you know. I just… can't help it in times like these. It truly does alleviate the stress when all else fails."

"Is that so?" Her tone was somewhat chiding and partly jesting, although she also actually sounded half serious about it too. "You know, I've always been curious to try even just one in my lifetime. Maybe now would be a great—"

"No, Elena. You don't want to risk the addiction, trust me."

She pouted at him, probably on the verge of a retort, yet their entire conversation was momentarily forgotten when a familiar hazy roar and burst of blue-white light came from within the lodge.

Nothing else was on their minds but rushing inside the lodge as quickly as possible. The fact that Elena had left the door open was at least one less obstacle as Tseng raced in ahead of her, but pulled up short and barred Elena's path with a protective arm, cursing himself for not having his handgun somewhere within reach. In the middle of their own living room, one of those spectral serpents had emerged, swaying slightly on the spot, fixating them with its piercing, azure stare.

Yet, the state of alarm was quickly lifted. The lone serpent was there seemingly long enough for them to acknowledge its presence, and then as swiftly as it had come, vanished back into the ground. It departed without leaving even a trace of its visit, save for the two Turks' pounding hearts, still disbelieving that one of the boss's pawns would show itself here at Healin, of all places.

Indicating Elena to remain outside, Tseng warily advanced inside, his only thoughts of finding his weapon and ensuring the President's safety. He started at hearing footsteps suddenly dart up the stairs and the door to the sitting area burst open, but was relieved to see that Rufus himself had arrived on the scene, still clad in sleepwear, his trademark gun in hand and at the ready.

"Rufus!" Tseng cried in relief, hastening towards him. "Are you all right?"

"Of course I am," he responded, as calmly as ever, but clearly in a daze. "What in the _blazes_ is going on up here? It sounded as though we had an unwanted intruder again."

"Close enough!" Elena quickly informed him as she walked in, suddenly frantic with agitation at what had just happened. "It was one of those serpents, Rufus! You know, the serpents that the kid's boss summoned to help us in the mines!"

"I did see that blue-white light you described. Too bad I didn't get to actually see the creature itself. But, what the hell was it doing here? Neither of you did anything to instigate a summon, did you?"

Tseng shook his head. "Absolutely not. Elena and I were talking out on the deck when it manifested itself in here for hell knows what reason. We rushed in as quickly as we could, but it was gone in an instant."

"It sure got everyone's attention," Elena said. "Maybe that's why it spawned where it did, so we'd all notice it?"

"Which can only mean…" Tseng realized then she had a very valid point. "If the 'boss' wanted us to notice it, then—"

"She wanted us to know that she's still keeping an eye on us, which can only mean she still intends to use us in the future," finished Rufus. "When, though? She's most likely unsure herself, but probably soon."

"Probably soon, huh?" That could only mean one thing to Tseng. "Then, the remnants and their cohorts are going to make their presence known soon, and we'll be called upon again to stop them."

"You, Reno, and Rude will." While her frustration that she couldn't join them was obvious, her concern remained ever greater. "Do you think… you guys can do it?"

"There's no other option, is there? Besides, I'm sure we'll receive help from our otherworldly friends to ensure our success."

"That woman better, or I'll definitely have a bone to pick with her."

"For now, though…" Rubbing tired eyes with a yawn, Rufus's next intentions were quite obvious. "There's nothing we can still do for now, until we get some kind of lead from Reno and Rude, or the boss herself gives us an order. As such, I'm going back to bed… I can't comprehend how you two can be up at such an hour."

"Simply a force of habit for us Turks."

Rufus chuckled. "Even so, do cherish your down time while you can. Perhaps I just need to get in a few more hours of rest, but… I have a feeling it could be a while before we can get this kind of respite again."

Tseng was more aware of that than anybody else. As Rufus returned to his room, Elena declared that she was far too awake right now to even consider trying to go back to bed and asked Tseng if he wanted to join her for breakfast.

That wasn't half bad of an idea, actually. "I'll come in a few minutes."

"Okay, I'll get started on it right away!"

There was an exchange of appreciative smiles, and then an unexpected wink from Elena just before she headed for the kitchen. It happened so quick and caught him off guard so much so that he didn't have time to respond before she was gone, but Tseng's features brightened nonetheless as he strode back out onto the deck, to gaze one more time at the rising sun.

They had been idle for long enough. A new day was here, and Tseng could only hope that this day would be the day to bring them one step closer to the conclusion of this chaos. He still could not shake the foreboding notions that the worst was yet to come, yet… he was well aware of the saying that things would only get worse before they could get better. All that Tseng asked—if he could pray to the Planet, if the Planet could somehow affect fate—that whatever worse things were to come, they could all pull through in the end, alive, unscathed.

That was all Tseng could ever ask for.

* * *

"May… I'm coming for you."

Those words Kallie muttered aloud, under her breath, as she stared at the endless sea that stretched beyond the horizon, standing at the pier where their ferry was to show up, the waters of Junon before her ablaze with the brilliance of the ascending sun. It was a beautiful morning unlike any she had seen in a very long time, and one that had never felt so invigorating. With a full night's rest behind her, she had never felt so ready to take on the day, stretching out as she breathed in the vitalizing salty air, the freshness of the cool air upon her face… Wonderful though this sunrise was, however, Kallie knew what was truly the source of her renewed wakefulness.

Her purpose here, her focus, had been utterly reignited. The shame and despair she had carried with her since her defeat at Raide's hands yesterday had vanished with the night; the chagrin no longer weighed her down, solely uplifted by her desire to make Raide's boss pay for having denied her long-awaited reunion with May. Kallie didn't care what the others said, it didn't intimidate her that this boss was supposedly 'unbeatable'—she was going to take that bitch down if her life depended on it!

_Well,__ '__if __my __life __depends __on __it__' __is __just __a __figure __of __speech__…_ Kallie had no intention of dying as a result of her mission to rescue her cousin; that would simply defeat the purpose of trying to save her in the first place. Even if she was terribly wounded in the process, it no longer mattered—she would endure the most excruciating pain as long as it meant that she could care for May as she had always intended to. Pain was just a small price to pay for that simple wish.

_Just __listen __to __yourself, __Kallie_, she amusedly berated herself, _since __when __the __hell __were __you __**this **__brave, __huh?_ Or that reckless, for that matter. Then again, Kallie had stopped trying to distinguish between bravery and recklessness on this journey. They were basically the same thing, she had come to that conclusion not long ago.

Really, though, what she knew she should be asking herself was how she had become so stupidly arrogant. Logic said to her how truthfully impossible it was going to be to attempt to defeat the boss in her current state, that she wouldn't last a second in the face of her formidable power. She would more quickly go to her grave than she would even scrape some sort of victory against this mysterious woman. And yet, even so, even as she assessed the hopeless situation, Kallie still wasn't fazed in the slightest.

_Because __the __only __option __other __than __victory __is __defeat, __and __I __**won**__**'**__**t **__let __that __happen. _She had to find a way to win, and she _would_ find a way.

"I'm thoroughly impressed, Kallie. For once, you're awake and ready to go before the rest of us."

At last, one of several voices Kallie had been waiting to hear ever since she had arrived here at the designated meeting place. Turning around, she saw her sister approaching as expected, with an arrogant-as-ever half-brother in tow, yet to her greatest surprise, the silver-haired duo were not far behind.

"Umm, Aurei?" Though she would have loved to have responded smugly to Aurei's remark, she had become far too concerned with Loz and Yazoo's unexpected presence. "Should they be here…? I mean, someone's bound to see them out here…"

"Not at the present moment." As usual, Aurei was somehow always right: this early in the morning, there were barely enough people on the docks to cause any real concern that someone would sight their infamous companions. "Rest assured, Kallie, we'll be taking every measure we can to ensure that they'll remain undetected."

"I'm not doubting you guys one bit." She really didn't have any choice other than to trust her 'silver-haired buddies' in remaining undetected—not that she didn't have faith in them in the first place. "You guys got everything all planned out and we don't need to worry about a thing… do we?"

"Of course not. The only concern is if something should arise that we didn't account for in the first place, and there is a very slim chance of that happening."

When it was Yazoo who responded to her query, Kallie wasn't surprised when her heart skipped a beat. Indeed, she felt that familiar, unwelcome feeling welling up inside her as their eyes made contact and he spoke to her. Even once he had finished talking, his gaze did not leave hers, and the feeling still had such a hold of her that she couldn't reply or look away until he did a few moments later.

Even then, her curiosity continued to search that gaze, attempting to figure out what she had seen in those feline eyes yesterday that was there even now… Kallie could tell that he, too, had been analyzing her, but what he was attempting to see in her, she hadn't the faintest idea. Perhaps, Yazoo himself didn't know either.

_Are __you __finally __going __to __see __me __as __your __equal, __Yazoo?_ If he was still in the process of coming to that decision, then she swore to ensure that the outcome was in her favor—that goal she wasn't about to lose sight of either, especially not when she _knew_ she was so damn close to actually achieving it. Dealing with those other feelings of the unwanted type, however? Kallie knew there was no way of knowing where they would lead her, but no matter what, she at least had to ensure that clarity would come as a result of all this…

_All __I __want __is __to __understand __why __this __all __had __to __happen __to __me._ Ignorance might be bliss, but she had learned that curiosity was just as much of a burning hell.

"Kallie…" More than likely, Aurei well knew of the purposeful thoughts that possessed Kallie—at least, those pertaining to their mission. "Remember, Raide's boss _is_ expecting us to come to Gongaga. She is as much aware of our pursuit as we're aware of where she's headed, no thanks to Raide here."

"So, be expectin' a trap at the very least, sis." Kallie had to wonder if that spiteful attitude of Raide's was a permanent part of his personality. "The kind that ya _ain__'__t_ escapin' from, no matter how much y'all plan for it."

"Just shut it, you good for nothing." With Raide tagging along now, this journey was going to be a hell of a lot of fun now, wasn't it? Not that Kallie had any right to complain about it, seeing as she had been the one to invite him. "If you think we're underestimating your boss, I'm personally making sure she'll regret ever kidnapping _my_ little cousin. We're gonna be taking her by storm!"

"She'll never know what hit her!" While Kallie hadn't exactly been expecting Loz's enthusiasm, she was all the more grateful that at least one member of their party had faith in her. At least she could rely upon Loz to be something of a companion—it was probably all she was going to get for the longest time.

"Because no one else will take notice, our ferry has arrived."

Sure enough, at Yazoo's announcement, everyone turned to see the decently-sized passenger ship that had pulled up a little ways down the pier. While Kallie still tried to fathom how Loz and Yazoo were going to sneak aboard that thing, she still believed nonetheless that they would successfully—the best time would actually be now, while there were still so few people, and they all knew this.

"Everyone, shall we?" Aurei beckoned to them. "Loz, Yazoo, now is your chance. We'll see you shortly."

"Count on it."

Even as Yazoo spoke those words, as he made to bound away and begin his and Loz's endeavors as stowaways, his usual absolute focus on any immediate mission was sidetracked, even if only briefly, when he caught the orange-haired girl staring still in his direction. And when he met that gaze, again he experienced that inexplicable inability to tear his eyes away from her. For the several seconds that the moment lasted, Yazoo again attempted to discern what he was seeing in her expressing, and was yet again stymied at failing to come to a conclusion.

_How much longer until I will finally understand you?_

In spite of the many times he had observed the strange behavior the girl had expressed around him, tried as she might to hide it, Yazoo still had yet to comprehend why she had begun to act this way. He was just as much aware that he himself had begun to treat her differently—his very attitude towards her had changed, and though he was _convinced_ it was merely because she had begun to prove her competency to him, he could not ignore the notion that something else just might be the source as well…

_You__'__re__… __more __than __just __an __ally __to __our __cause. __I__'__ve __come __to __accept __that._ There was no use denying anymore that he thought of her more than a simple tool for him to use—although, even referring to her as a comrade or a companion was still a stretch for him. Then again, though he was aware of those concepts, Yazoo had never even so much considered applying them to anyone before, not even Loz or Kadaj… Was that just one of many changes that was in store for him, as Mother had hinted at?

_Whatever __changes __may __come, __they __will __be __only __for __the __better, __won__'__t __they?_ They had to be, or otherwise this continuation of their journey was not going to be a pleasant one.

_Soon, I will come to understand all of this. I have to. I must._

If only for Mother's sake.

* * *

The dreaded morning had arrived for May. The ferry had come and gone, and still she had not been able to escape the company of that mysterious woman. Then again, May realized that she simply might have given up on escape at this point—no thanks to the terrible, disheartening knowledge the woman had imparted to her last night. Now that she had wound up in the hands of Raide's boss, like he had been telling her would happen all along, maybe she had started to give in. Maybe, because she learned that she was never going home again, that Kallie would die or become a different person, she had started to lose hope of ever being saved from this nightmare. Maybe she had even started to accept she could never return to the life that she once had…

Except, there was still one thing that May clung to, one last strand of hope that this woman couldn't take away from her—and it was the simple conviction that Kallie was truly on her way to save her.

_After __what __I __felt __last __night__…_ There was no mistaking that it was Kallie's presence she had felt. That warmth she had felt inside of her, the warmth that had dissuaded all her fears and lulled her into sleep, was the same as the warmth she felt whenever she had been with Kallie. A warmth that was comforting and reassuring, that she was safe and secure whenever she felt that warmth. With Daddy's passing, only Kallie was the one who made her feel like that anymore, and it was a feeling that no one else could replicate, not even that strange woman and her even stranger powers.

Countless miles might divide them, and they might be getting even further apart as they made their swift journey towards Gongaga, but not even that could completely separate the cousins. That inexplicable warmth that May had experienced last night had confirmed all she needed to know: her cousin had never given up on her before, and she wouldn't be about to give up on her now either.

The cool air whipped May's face as their chocobo that the boss had purchased raced along, seated as she was in front of the woman, who kept a firm and protective arm around her. Their feathered steed sped almost happily onwards right into the sunrise, leaving the coast and the settlement they had stayed in the night before far behind. They had begun their journey to Gongaga, and while May didn't know what lay in store for her there, for once, she wasn't afraid.

_I won't give up on you either, Kallie. You told me everything was gonna be all right. You told me we'll make it through this, and I believe you._

_Because, you promised me._

* * *

_Oh my goodness. I am so glad to finally have this out. This really was overdue and I apologize. It's so weird to hit the update button after so long…_

_Anyhoo, the news concerning Illusory Flame's future, meaning its two sequels. I am hell-bent on writing them as promised, but it will be somewhat different from how Embers has been written. For the simple fact that my writing has improved so much since I started on this, I feel like writing the upcoming sequels will be a LOT easier. I've also run over the story so many times now in my head that I'm really hoping that putting it down on paper (figuratively speaking) will be a heck of a lot easier. _

_I'm also planning to trim the fat a lot more, so to speak, meaning that I'm going to spend a lot less time messing around with scenes that are just kind of filler and get to the heart of the story quicker. I am going to attempt updating every month again now that there is a little more stability in my life, but as next semester of school is gonna be just as crazy, I can't make any promises there._

_BUT. The biggest news I want to bring is that I am planning to re-upload and re-release IllusoryFlame:Embers completely. Which will mean that I am going to delete the story and then start anew by uploading Embers starting from the very first chapter. This has been a very difficult decision to make indeed, yet I have confidence that it will be beneficial in the long run, for the simple fact that I have made MANY improvements to the first chapters that I first uploaded all the way back in 2007, and hopefully these new and improved chapters will attract a much bigger following than it did before. This will most likely be done prior to whenever I am planning to first starting updating the sequel, and will be updated simultaneously with the sequel._

_One more thing: this isn't QUITE the last chapter of Embers. There's just one more scene that I've been saving until the very end, one more character who's role in this story is just beginning… What it is exactly, you'll have to wait and see—and I swear it won't take another year. XD By this end of this year, more precisely._

_Well, it's been way too long, folks. Again, I apologize for the wait and I really hope to be seeing some of you guys once more! But even if I don't get any reviews for this, I won't be angry, I perfectly understand._


	33. Epilogue

_Well, this is it, everyone! It took a frikkin' long ass time, but it's finally here—the epilogue, the conclusion to Illusory Flame: Embers! There's nothing that makes me happier than being able to say that it's finally over, that I've FINALLY finished Embers! Of course, I've still got two-thirds of the trilogy ahead of me, but hey, getting one third of it down is a step in the right direction!_

_Now, I have made the decision to restart this fanfiction—in other words, making the painful decision of deleting this story and then re-uploading it again so that it will hopefully draw in a whole new crowd of readers, and a crowd hopefully larger than the one before! Especially since I'll be updating it much more consistently… That probably won't happen until I start uploading the first few chapters of the sequel, so until then, be sure to add me to either alerts or favorites so that you'll still be able to keep track of me! I will send out a message to everyone else just to make sure._

_And now, without further ado—THE EPILOGUE TO ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS._

**ILLUSORY FLAME: EMBERS**

**Epilogue**

_Revival_

**Kadaj… Can you hear me?**

Of course he could. How could Kadaj ever fail to hear that cherished, melodic tone that was Mother's voice? Never would he forget that sound as long as he remained here in this eternal rapture… All he knew here—the only thing that made sense to him—was Mother's reassuring, tender presence, and it was all he had ever asked for. Nothing would ever separate him from Mother again.

But, as he would soon rediscover, that had never been his decision in the first place.

**Kadaj, you must listen to me. I fear that… our time together has come to an end.**

The worst of Kadaj's fears had been realized all over again—he just never imagined that the source of it would be Mother herself. How could she do this to him? How could _she_ be the source of his greatest agony? Kadaj would simply not accept the notion that Mother herself chose to separate them. He simply couldn't…

"Mother, no…" How he yearned to fully express his pain, his disbelief, his refusal to leave her side. But, in this otherworld, even the smallest amount of speech took an enormous effort; it was like his mind had to wander through an sea of tumultuous emotions and thoughts just to string together the simplest words.

**It is for something very important, something that you must do for me. Do you understand?**

His disbelief cleared then, even if only a little. In his utter devotion to Mother, he knew that he couldn't refuse even the smallest command that she gave. Especially if she said it was something very important. So he chose to listen, and obey.

**You must go back to the world of the living. Your mission there is not complete.**

The mission… In this timelessness, it felt like it might have happened centuries ago. What did that mission matter to him anymore? All it did for him was bring back the painful recollection of how their mission to fulfill Mother's wishes had failed. He couldn't bear the thought of letting her down like that again.

**You still have a purpose to serve, Kadaj. You still have another chance, and you _must_ go back.**

Another chance… She would forgive him for his mistakes? She would really give him another chance?

But, to have to leave her when he was with her at last…

And then, she made the promise he could not forget. The lie that Aerith loathed to make.

**If you can succeed, Kadaj… then we can truly be together. If you are able to do this, then nothing will be able to keep us apart.**

That was the only reassurance Kadaj would ever need to hear.

**Will you do this for me, Kadaj?**

Once more, he yearned to express his emotions to their fullest.

"I… will."

From then on, everything seemed to him a complete blur. It seemed to him that her words then passed through his head in a veil of haziness. Kadaj only vaguely comprehended that he was to return to the surface, that he was to reunite with his brothers Loz and Yazoo, for he could not do this without their help. He was to find them, he was to head to Gongaga, and Mother would guide him as best as she could. Everything was a blur to him, for all Kadaj could think about was that he had to leave her—and that she was going to give him a second chance.

He didn't even think about the fact that he was going to be brought back to life.

**Then… it's settled. It's time to send you back.**

Before Kadaj could even so much as fathom a farewell to her, his entire being was abruptly torn away from her presence. It was the first time in what felt like an eternity that he experienced any sensation at all, and it was of falling, falling very fast. Falling as if through the very planes of time and space, through innumerable emotions, consciousnesses, memories… Some unfathomable force pulled him mercilessly through the void's undertow, and he had never felt so terrified, so uncertain of what was happening to him. He wanted to scream, he prayed that it would soon end, this horrible feeling of his own self being all at once reconstructed and torn apart into a million pieces…

But, suddenly, there was something he could understand. Something that he could make sense of in this maelstrom. A creeping blackness, coming straight for him. A familiar dark presence, a presence that had haunted him and burdened him for so long. A presence that he believed he had been finally rid of, and now came to reclaim him as its own.

_Sephiroth…_

Utterly helpless in this void, Kadaj was sure that those tendrils of darkness would take a hold of him, that he would have no choice but to submit to Sephiroth's overwhelming force, become assimilated again… Yet, something pushed the darkness back, away from him, and he was dragged onwards once more. This time, beyond the void itself.

For a split second, existence itself seemed to cease.

And then, there was light. A light, distantly glimmering in the darkness. It was a different sort of darkness, though, a darkness far removed from what he had grown accustomed to. He could see colors, shapes. Colors and shapes that shifted and shimmered even as he gazed at them, trying to discern what they could mean…

Next, he could feel. He could feel a great weight all around him—heavy, and yet, he felt light within it. This suspended space could support him, and he fairly floated there, although it seemed awfully difficult to move any part of his body. Maybe that was just him. It had been forever since he could move on his own, after all.

_Wait…_

He realized his senses were beginning to return. With that, he also soon realized…

_I… __**am**__ floating._ This was… water. He was floating within water. That light… It was sunlight, faintly streaming through the water's surface. Those colors and shapes he had yet to properly perceive, but that would happen momentarily. After all, his body had finally caught up to the fact that it was alive again. And when a body is alive again, its first instinct is to breathe.

For Kadaj, though, that meant his first breath was a lungful of water. And that simply wouldn't do.

He needed air.

The first real action his revitalized body performed was a powerful kick against the ground beneath him, propelling him rapidly towards the surface. While his destination was only a few feet away, it felt as though he was swimming from the depths of the deepest ocean before his head broke the surface, and he took in his first real breath of air. That also came with a price, for his body also had to reject the water it had inadvertently inhaled; his body also simply wasn't used to the fact that it could actually _move_ again, and after that initial kick Kadaj was quite unsteady on his feet, almost falling right back into the water.

Being brought back to life sure wasn't an elegant process.

Yet, even going through death and back again didn't change the fact that Kadaj had many superhuman qualities. His recuperation was swift, and he was quickly on his way to regaining his bearings, even if he had to still stumble his way to a stable surface, fighting between coughs to catch his breath again. At last, though it felt like an eternity, Kadaj had made it to the edge of the pool, leaning on the wooden planks as blessed oxygen gradually filled his lungs.

It was another long while, but finally his mind cleared enough as well for him to fully perceive his environment and assess his situation for the first time. Rubbing his eyes free of the last drops of the invasive water, Kadaj took his first real glance at his surroundings and immediately recognized it as the interior of the church in the ruins of Midgar's sector 5, that fated place where he had seen inside that black box, that place where his magic had blasted the ground, causing some mystical geyser to rise and—

_But wait, then that means this water—_

No sooner had he realized what that meant than he panicked, and it was no sooner than he panicked that his panic turned to confusion. That water had been tainted somehow, poisoned with some sort of vile holiness that had boiled and stung and scalded him with even the tiniest droplets. Wasn't the very pool he stood waist deep in right now formed from that godforsaken water—heck, hadn't he been revived in its very depths? So, why wasn't he screaming in agony right now? Surely it should feel like he was being boiled alive right now, so why didn't it hurt him at all? Had Mother been able to provide him with an immunity? Had his very sense of pain been erased after all he had been through in that otherworld?

_Mother… The otherworld…_ His memory of everything that had occurred to him in that place was as hazy and indistinct as any dream—even that sense of bliss from being in Mother's presence he could not remember very well, though the imprint was certainly there. In fact, his last clearest memory was of his own dying moments, of falling into Brother's arms, hearing Mother's voice, and then… nothing. There was no telling how long ago that might have been, if maybe only a few hours ago, one day—it could even be a whole decade from then. His only clue was that the sun had been setting then, and it looked barely midday now.

_Just as if I merely fell asleep…_ Except that, if he was awake now, it sure felt as though he was still in a nightmare.

Kadaj was back in the real world again. A cruel world that he had found was full of nothing but pain and anguish, a world that sought to defy and deny him in anyway it possibly could. He was unwelcome here, he had no place here; his only thoughts then were of returning to that sanctuary where he had resided with Mother, that he should have never left the comfort and safety of her presence. Why had he ever decided to leave her? He should have never chosen to part from her…

**Kadaj… good luck.**

"_Mother!"_

Even as his head eagerly perked up and his eyes longingly searched his surroundings, at finding that Mother was nowhere in sight, Kadaj's sudden elatedness had faded as quickly as it had come, and for a moment, he felt even more disheartened and desolate than before. Yet, it wasn't long before he realized how much that voice reminded him of everything that had occurred to him in that otherworld—and why he had made the reluctant decision to return here in the first place.

His mission had been renewed. His purpose had returned. He had been given another chance.

And this time, he would not fail. He swore upon it if it was the last thing he ever did.

"I promise you, Mother…" Kadaj murmured to the empty space around him, although to him, her voice reminded him that she was always with him. "This time, we _will_ succeed."

This time, the Reunion would be realized.

And he would never be apart from Mother ever again.

_To be continued in…_

**ILLUSORY FLAME: INFERNO**

_The journey for Kallie and her companions continues bitterly onward. What began as a simple rescue mission has become a quest for identity, a search for answers—and a furious thirst for revenge. Kallie still seeks to take back what was stolen from her and ultimately return to a life of normalcy, yet has she passed the point of no return?_

_The true potential of Kallie's powers… The true identity of her present and past self… And, her true feelings for a certain silver-haired warrior… All will be revealed in Illusory Flame: Inferno._

_See you guys then! _


End file.
